


Three is a crowd but Nine is a party

by AleneShazam



Series: Immortal Legends [2]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I'm back with more gay, Round Two mother truckers, pure woobymaru, the girls try their hand at pro-gaming, the third years are angsty gays, video game more like video gay, yoshiko and you learn how to romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2018-12-15 01:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11795787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AleneShazam/pseuds/AleneShazam
Summary: A month later, You is getting frustrated that she's unable to overcome her feelings for Chika, and starts to doubt if her and Yoshiko will work out after all. Meanwhile, old feelings are brought back to the surface as the third years are gradually reunited. On top of all that, it eventually comes to light that Ura Girls is facing almost inevitable closure.With tensions high in the school, the girls must now face a fresh series of trials and tribulations in the pursuit of their dreams.[Sequel to You Picks Up Girls in MMOS]





	1. Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

You’s life used to be simple. She dove. She swam. She crushed on Chika, and that was about it. But in the past couple of months, it was like her life went into hyperdrive, events going past with dizzying speed. Meeting Yoshiko. Riko transferring. Getting into Immortal Legends. Chika and Riko. Her and Yoshiko.

God, _her and Yoshiko._ You had thought she tied that up nicely by asking for time. She really did need time to think. But a day passed. Then a week, then a month and more. The traces of summer transitioned to a cool nip in the air, promising colder days in the future. You still hadn’t followed up on her promise to sort things out. Yoshiko had said she would wait, but a month later, and You still hadn’t sorted anything out.

She sighed, staring up at her bedroom ceiling. Increasingly often, she found herself spacing out, thinking about her mess of a social life.

Turning over and sitting up on her bed, You shook her head to clear away the lingering thoughts, and after throwing on a random shirt, she ambled her way downstairs. Her mother was in the kitchen, making something that smelled really good. Omelettes?

“Morning, Mom.”

“Good morning, dear.”

Not long after she sat down at the table, her mother switched the stove off and slid a piping hot platter of ham omelette in front of her.

Wiping her hands on a dishcloth, her mother sat down opposite to her with a cup of hot something or another, sipping at it periodically.

“Are you going out today, You?”

You nodded.

“With Chika?”

You hesitated before shaking her head no. “She’s going out with Riko today.”

“Ah,” Her mother nodded slowly, before wisely deciding to change the subject. You hadn’t told her mom about how she felt about Chika, but being her mother, You was sure she figured it out ages ago. “So where are you going today?”

“Kanan’s?” You nodded as she continued to shovel down mouthfuls of omelette. “Well, tell her I said hi. She should be going back to school soon, right?”

“Her grandpa should be completely out of his cast in a couple weeks, so yeah, she should be back in class pretty soon,” You said, wiping her mouth with a napkin and sitting up. “I’m gonna go now. Bye Mom!”

“Wait, You! Your hair! And put on some pants, for Christ’s sake!”

“Oops!”

* * *

 

Ten minutes later, You was actually presentable, wearing a cute sky-blue hoodie over a white t-shirt, and cropped jean shorts. Nothing too flashy, but Kanan probably wouldn’t mind.

Jogging her way up to the pier where the Awashima ferry usually picked up passengers, You slowed down when she realized that someone else was already there before her, standing at the edge of the pier, staring out in the direction of the island.

You frowned. She didn’t think anyone else would be heading out to Awashima today.

Coming up to the pier, You was surprised to see who the person actually was: “President Kurosawa?”

Dia froze for a moment, turning around stiffly before giving You a cordial nod.

“Miss Watanabe. Good morning.”

Her expression was cool and aloof, though not hostile. Just… distant, You supposed, as she nodded politely in return.

“Um, good morning?” She replied, stepping up awkwardly beside Dia.

A few seconds passed as You fiddled with a strand of her hair. The sea was calm in the morning, the sound of tiny ripples lapping against the pier just barely audible.

“So, uh…” You scuffed the ground with the front of her shoe. “What brings you to Awashima island, Prez?”

“Please don’t refer to me as ‘Prez’,” Dia said tightly. “And… I’m here to deliver schoolwork to Ka- Miss Matsuura.”

“So that’s how Kanan’s been getting schoolwork,” You hummed, staring back out to sea. In the distance, she could see the ferry approaching in the distance. “Is that part of the Student Council President’s duties?”

“Not… technically, no. Usually the duty falls to whomever lives closest to the absentee.” Dia explained evenly, though You noticed her hand fidget slightly. “Due to Miss Matsuura’s… unique circumstances, I decided to take it upon myself to deliver her schoolwork.”

“Don’t you live kinda far away from the pier, though?” You frowned.

Dia started to say something different, before quickly shaking her head. “It wouldn’t be proper to burden other students with this.”

You looked at her strangely. Dia seemed shifty, somehow, but You just couldn’t pin down exactly in what way, or why she might be acting weird.

Her train of thought was interrupted, though, when the ferry finally came up to the pier, bumping gently against the tire-covered side of the pier. You and Dia shuffled onto the ferry in relative silence, sitting apart as the ferry departed for Awashima.

It was awkward, but it wasn’t a long ride, and soon enough they were on Awashima island, on their way to Kanan’s diving shop. It was a familiar route for You - she’d been there with Chika to visit Kanan before, many times over the years. So coming up the stairs to the diving shop, You knew to avoid the third step, since it was wobbly and she could trip on it.

What surprised her, though, was that Dia knew to avoid the step, too.

She stole a quick glance at the impassive looking girl, before shrugging and coming up to the porch in front of the store. There was Kanan, resting with her eyes closed on a pool-chair, apparently dozed off in the warm morning light. Her dark blue hair waved slightly in the breeze, her head dipping every few seconds as she slept peacefully.

You couldn’t blame her - with the constant gentle sea breeze and the abundance of warm sunlight, Kanan’s porch was one of the best places to take a nap.

She had half a mind to go and scare her, but Dia had other ideas. She cleared her throat, walked over to Kanan and gently nudged her. “Matsuura. Wake up.”

You didn’t even know that her voice could go that soft, she’d always assumed Dia’s voice was always set on ‘strict’.

Kanan mumbled something, and turned over on the chair, still happily sleeping away. Dia sighed and poked her again, a little more insistently. “Come on, Matsuura. You have guests. Where’s your courtesy, young lady?”

“Mmm…” Kanan wrinkled her brow. “You’re too early, Dia… as per usual…”

“Miss Watanabe is here, too.”

“Oh.” Kanan opened her eyes, and noticed You standing a short distance away. “Uh… what time is it?”

“Almost twelve,” Dia said, holding her phone up in front of Kanan. Kanan blinked, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she chuckled and sat up.

“Whoops.” Kanan laughed, getting lazily off the pool chair and stretching languidly. “I guess I got a little too comfy.” She glanced at You, giving her a wave. “Hey, You. Good morning… or, well, noon. Sorry, we had a bit of night diving yesterday, so I wanted to catch up on some sleep…” She yawned again, and Dia furrowed her brow in disapproval.

You grinned. Part of why You liked Kanan so much was her easy-going attitude. Even when they were small, Kanan was perfectly willing to go along with Chika’s crazy schemes. Kanan was like the ocean waves, casually going along life at her own pace.

“Did you see anything cool down there?” You asked quickly. Another reason why You liked Kanan - she was one of the few people who could keep up with You’s passion for the sea.

“Yup! We dove right into a school of snappers. The diving light reflected off their scales so it was like being surrounded by a wall of glittering gold,” Kanan said excitedly, before she realized that she had been ignoring Dia for a while. “Ah… hey, Dia. Thanks for getting the work to me.”

Dia nodded curtly, reaching into the bag at her side and pulling out a stack of papers. “I made short notes for each lesson. Not enough to make up for all of it, but combined with reading in the textbooks you should be fine. There’ll be a test roughly a week after you come back to school, so you should prepare for that.”

She glanced between Kanan and You. “…And it seems I’m intruding. I’ll take my leave, then.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for lunch? My grandpa’s hobbled, but he can still cook just fine,” Kanan said, gesturing at the inside of the shop. “It’s been so long since we’ve eaten together…”

Dia bit her lip, staring at Kanan for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

“I should be leaving soon. My family is expecting me.”

She turned around before Kanan could give a reply, and strode off at a brisk pace. Kanan sighed, and turned to give You a small smile. “Oh, well. The more the merrier, but you can’t get them all.”

You’s gaze lingered on Dia’s form, shrinking as she got further away from the diving shop, until the path curved out of sight and she left You’s field of vision.

“I didn’t know you knew the prez,” You said, glancing at Kanan, who shrugged.

“We used to be friends. Pretty tight, actually. Whenever I wasn’t with you and Chika, I was hanging with Dia and…” She hesitated, shook her head. “Anyway, that’s in the past. We haven’t talked properly in a while.”

You nodded slowly, looking back to where Dia had disappeared. “She seems cold.”

“She used to be pretty cool. Dare I say it, Fun, even.” You looked incredulously at Kanan, and the older girl chuckled. “I know, you wouldn’t know from how she is now, but she really was.”

“A lot can change, I suppose.” You mused.

“Yup.” Kanan nodded. She sighed, and giving You a faint smile, she turned and started to head into the shop. “Come on, You. Grandpa’s grilled fish isn’t going to eat itself. I did invite you for lunch, after all.”

“Lead the way, Matsuura.”

You tried to shrug off the unease nagging at her mind, and followed after Kanan, allowing the delicious smell of freshly grilled fish to wash her worries away.

It took only ten or so minutes for You and Kanan to demolish the grilled fish and the bowl of rice. You had already eaten late breakfast at home, but somehow she found more room for the humble, but delicious, lunch that Kanan’s grandpa had prepared.

The girls ate in relative silence, just enjoying the company as they chowed down on fish and rice.

“…It’s kind of weird without Chika here, isn’t it?”

Eventually Kanan broke the silence, putting down her set of chopsticks contemplatively. “Usually she’d be shouting about the food. Or something cute like that. It’s… quieter, without her around.”

You looked around. Kanan was right - normally, You visited Kanan with Chika, so their trips would always be noisy and cheery. With just herself and Kanan, the atmosphere was noticeably calmer. Not that Kanan was bad company or anything, but it felt… lonelier. Just a little.

“I guess.” She shrugged, careful not to look too upset by it. She was trying to be supportive of Chika and Riko, after all.

Kanan studied her expression carefully, before smiling wryly. “You remind me of Dia.”

“Huh?” You frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” Kanan hesitated, before shaking her head. “It’s not important.”

“Oh.” You frowned, but decided not to pry. Kanan must’ve sensed her disappointment, though, because she sighed in defeat, reaching over and ruffling You’s hair.

“It’s just… this is reminding me of something that happened before. It’s really not that important,” Kanan said. She paused, playing with a strand of her hair for a moment before turning to look at You. “More importantly… are you okay? I know how much she means to you. Seeing her now… it can’t be easy.”

You tensed up slightly. “I’m fine,” She said, quietly.

“Are you sure?” Kanan pressed. “It’s been a month, but you haven’t really talked about it at all. Even to me.”

She stopped, a thought occurring to her. “Does Chika even know about… you? How you feel?”

You grimaced, her lips pressed into a thin line. She hesitated a few seconds before slowly shaking her head. Kanan sighed. “You’re not going to tell her?”

“I don’t really see the point,” You said. “Chika’s happy right now. She likes Riko, and Riko likes her back. If I tell her, it’ll just cause unnecessary waves.”

“But you like her,” Kanan said.

“I _liked_ her. I’m over it. I am.” You gave Kanan a small smile. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine.”

Kanan looked at her skeptically, but eventually she shrugged and leaned back, staring lazily up at the ceiling with her back against the floor. “That’s a shame. I rooted for you, too. I kinda hoped my two childhood friends would get together. That would’ve been cute.”

You sighed and shook her head. “Sometimes things don’t line up so perfectly.”

“That’s true,” Kanan admitted, before glancing at You. “That was pretty wise. Are you sure you’re the You I know?”

You shrugged. “I’ve been thinking, recently.”

“That’s new,” Kanan grinned. You reached over to bap her lightly across the head.

“Jerk,” You grinned as well, Kanan’s smile proving infectious. She sighed, and fell backwards as well, imitating Kanan’s lazy pose. She stayed silent for a moment, mulling a thought over. “…Have you ever regretted not telling someone something?”

Kanan hesitated, seeming to give the question serious thought.

“I guess— I guess so. I think it was the right thing to do, though.”

“Really?”

You turned to look at Kanan. Kanan shrugged, apparently unconcerned. “I don’t really know. What’s done is done, anyway.”

You sensed that there was a story behind Kanan’s detached response, but decided not to pry. She respected Kanan’s privacy.

Instead, she just nodded, and turned over, pushing herself up she was resting on her knees. “Do you want to go swim now?”

Kanan stared at You for a moment before giving her a smile. “Sure.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around in the surf. There weren’t any dives scheduled that day, so You and Kanan didn’t have to worry about customers interrupting them. They chatted some more, but it was inane chatter, smalltalk like how the shop was doing, how school was, if they’d heard anything interesting down the grapevine. Kanan didn’t pry any more into You’s situation, and even though it bugged her, You didn’t ask about Dia, either.

As the sun started to set in the horizon, You took the time to pull herself up onto the pier, sitting on the sun-warmed wood and staring out to sea. Kanan bobbed up to the surface nearby, sticking to the sea but watching You.

“I missed this,” You said, simply.

“Yeah?”

“Just swimming, I mean. Not for competitions or for prizes. Just swimming.”

Kanan nodded slowly. “The first round of competitions just ended, didn’t it?”

With Autumn setting in, it was getting too chilly for swimmers to be comfortable. That meant competitions were put on hold until the seasons got warmer.

“Mhmm. It’s been a pretty busy season,” You sighed. “Especially since a certain someone couldn’t make it to practice and competitions.”

Kanan shrugged. “If it helps, my grandpa should be out of his cast in a week or so. I’ll be back in time for the next competition season.”

“As you should. The coach is getting antsy that we don’t have a reliable swimmer for the relays,” You said. She hesitated for a moment, before continuing: “And… It would be nice having you back. It’ll be like the good old days.”

“The good old days, huh.” Kanan muttered, looking up. She narrowed her eyes as she watched a pink helicopter cross the sky, descending towards the opposite side of the island.

You looked up as well, noticing the helicopter that Kanan was watching. “Huh. You don’t see that every day."

Kanan shook her head. “Probably the Ohara hotel’s helicopter. Might be an emergency delivery, or something.”

“Wow,” You glanced at Kanan. “How’d you know that?”

Kanan just shrugged, and climbed ashore next to You. “It’s getting late. We should probably head out.”

“Right…” You stared at the helicopter as it passed behind a hill and out of sight. She shook her head slightly, and followed behind Kanan.

* * *

 

“Yoshiko…”

“Yoshiko?”

“Yoshiko!”

Yoshiko jumped, startled. She looked around, and Hanamaru sighed, rolling over in her sheets and poking her in the cheek with a finger.

They were hanging out in Hanamaru’s room, as part of a tentative maybe-sleepover depending on Yoshiko’s mood. Hanamaru and Ruby were reading magazines on Hanamaru’s bedroll - Hanamaru had the traditional tatami/bedroll set up since she lived in a shrine - while Yoshiko had been spacing out next to them.

“Wuh.” Yoshiko grunted eloquently, looking around in confusion before she regained her bearings and glared at Hanamaru. “What gives?”

“You were spacing out, zura.”

“Oh.” Yoshiko blushed, looking away. “Whatever.”

Hanamaru smiled and inched closer, propping herself up on her elbows and resting her chin in her hands. “What were you thinking about, zura?”

Her smile widened into a grin. “Is it about You?”

Yoshiko blushed even deeper. Yoshiko had decided, against her better judgement, to tell Hanamaru and Ruby about her and You. She had immediately regretted it, and still regretted it to this day.

“It’s— it’s not!” She protested, scrambling away from Hanamaru.

Hanamaru grinned and inched closer. “Are you _sure_ , zura?”

“I wasn’t thinking about You, Zuramaru!” Yoshiko said hotly. “I wasn’t!”

Ruby put herself between Yoshiko and Hanamaru, putting her hands up placatingly. “Okay, okay. Maru, please?” Hanamaru crumbled immediately at the request, backing off and apologizing.

“Sorry, Yoshiko.”

“Whatever,” Yoshiko said again, though she sat a little straighter.

Ruby then smiled shyly at Yoshiko, and Yoshiko couldn’t really stay mad at a smile like that. “So, Yoshiko, what were you thinking about? That game? Um… something Legends?”

“Immortal Legends,” Yoshiko corrected. “And… yes.”

Ruby and Hanamaru were well aware of Yoshiko’s hobby, even if they didn’t understand it very well. Yoshiko had played Immortal Legends in front of the two of them plenty of times, and they had picked up just how much the game meant to her.

Hanamaru smiled apologetically. “Sorry that you can’t play here, zura…” Yoshiko’s laptop had run out of battery a long time ago, and to Yoshiko’s horror Hanamaru didn’t have an electrical socket in her room.

“It’s not your fault, Zuramaru.” Yoshiko sighed. “It’s not urgent, anyway. I was just thinking about the Immortal Legacy tournament.”

“Immortal… Legacy… zura?”

“The Immortal Legacy tournament. It’s coming up in a couple of months, so I was just thinking about what kind of strategy I should take into the tournament this time… My current build is well established, but I thought maybe some of my old rivals will have adapted to my style, so I could pay a visit to the western sages to reset my build…”

Hanamaru glanced at Ruby. Ruby shrugged, and Hanamaru looked back at Yoshiko. “O…kay?”

Yoshiko looked at Hanamaru, noting her slightly confused expression before sighing. “The Immortal Legacy tournament is an annual competition held by the developers of Immortal Legends. It’s a PVP tournament - that means player versus player, where players fight each other - in which the winners get lavish rewards and have their names recorded down permanently. It’s one of the major events of the game, and every year countless players join to have a try at gaining fame and fortune.”

Hanamaru nodded slowly, before looking at Ruby and tilting her head in confusion.

“So… once a year, all the players of the Immortal Legends game come together to fight each other for prizes and fame,” Ruby explained, glancing at Yoshiko. “Right?”

“…Roughly, yes.” Yoshiko said. “Being one of the top players, I’m of course expected to compete. In fact, I won last year’s tournament, so the competition will be fierce this year. I was thinking if I should change up my strategy so my rivals won’t be able to counter me.”

She sighed. “And there’s the matter of training You as well. I’m hoping she can make the minimum level requirement at least. It’ll be a learning experience for her… ah.” She stopped abruptly, her expression scrunching up when she realized her mistake.

“So you _were_ thinking about You!” Hanamaru grinned, leaning over and poking Yoshiko on the arm.

“ _Zuramaru!_ ” Yoshiko scrambled back, hiding behind Ruby and glaring at her friend with a hot blush on her face. “It was strictly in a professional manner, I wasn’t- it’s not—… Stop giggling! Ruby, make her stop giggling!” She huffed crossly as Hanamaru started to snicker.

“Well…” Ruby tapped her fingers together. “She’s not _wrong_ …”

“Ruby! You traitor!” Yoshiko looked scandalized, and she pushed Ruby towards Hanamaru, crossing her arms huffily. “I am betrayed. Friendship is dead. The meaning of life is to be alone!” She scuttled over to a corner of the room, facing the wall. “Who needs party members, anyway?”

“Aw, Yoshiko, don’t be like that, zura…” Hanamaru said. Yoshiko wasn’t looking, but judging from the rustling Hanamaru had probably gotten up instead of lying down. “We’re just teasing. Sorry.”

“Whatever.” Yoshiko pouted, her eyes glued to the wall.

“I mean, you could be a little more open with your feelings, zura.” Hanamaru added, quietly. “You’re enthusiastic about that game - Immortal Legends. But you so rarely talk about anything else, zura. It’s like you become someone else when you’re talking about Immortal Legends.”

“That’s because… I’m actually good at Immortal Legends. I’m… not very good at anything else.”

Hanamaru sighed. “You need to believe in yourself, zura.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Yoshiko…” Ruby tapped her fingers together, looking between Hanamaru and Yoshiko. The atmosphere suddenly felt very heavy, and Ruby wasn’t sure what to do.

Yoshiko sighed, turning around. “Look, I’m already trying my best. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“And I’m very proud of you, zura.” Hanamaru conceded, nodding. “You’re right. Sorry for prying, zura.”

“Zuramaru…” Yoshiko bit her lip, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Okay. I’m okay with talking. Really. But… You is… complicated. That’s a sensitive situation. I’d… rather not talk about that.”

Hanamaru glanced at Ruby. Ruby glanced back at Hanamaru, and shrugged. Hanamaru nodded.

“Okay.” She said simply, patting Yoshiko on the back. “We understand, zura.”

Yoshiko smiled faintly at the two of them. “Thanks, girls.”

“Hey. What are friends for?” Hanamaru smiled, and held up a pack of cards. “So, anyone up for another game?”

“I’m in!” Ruby raised her hand excitedly.

Yoshiko shrugged, though she still let out a small smile. “I suppose I can join in this archaic game. It’s no Immortal Legends… but it’ll do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It begins!  
> I'll try and stick to a weekly release cycle, and update one of my stories every week. If everything goes to plan, it'll be Shadow Gate to Love next.


	2. Pay to Win

_Buzz._

_Buzz._

Yoshiko frowned, rolling over in her futon.

“Zura… zura…”

Ah. It’s just Hanamaru snoring. Yoshiko smiled faintly, continuing to snooze. It was early morning. Or maybe late morning. She was dimly aware of where everything was - Hanamaru and Ruby were cuddling on their own futon, their bags were in a corner, and the sunlight was just about starting to filter through the sliding doors of Hanamaru’s room. Even a night owl like herself must rest, sometimes.

_Buzz._

“Zura…”

Yoshiko’s eyes opened blearily. It wasn’t Hanamru’s snoring, after all. Then what…? She spotted a glimpse of light coming from the pile of bags. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she crept over to her bag and rummaged around, throwing aside chargers and cables that never got used in the end.

“My phone…? This early in the morning?”

Fishing out her phone, she frowned at the glowing screen, checking the notifications.

_1 missed call from: You_

Eh? Yoshiko blinked. What was You doing calling her at this god-forsaken hour?

Carefully pushing the slide door open, Yoshiko crept outside, closing the door behind her. Dialling in You’s number, she put her phone up to her ear and sighed.

“ _Hello?”_

Yoshiko’s heart skipped a beat at You’s voice. It felt like it’s been a long time since they’ve talked. “H-Hey, You.”

_“O-Oh! Yoshiko! Good morning- ah, wait, did I wake you up? I’m sorry!”_

“No! Um, it’s fine, I was just about to wake up anyway…”

Yoshiko smiled, her finger tracing patterns into her pyjamas. “So… why did you call me earlier? I was still asleep, so…”

_“Ahh, right! Listen, Yoshiko - do you have your laptop handy? Can you log in to Immortal Legends right now?”_

“N-no, my laptop is out of battery, and the reception here is bad…”

_“Right, right - you’re over at Maru’s place, right - well, then… um… here - I’m sending you a video, okay? It’s a cinematic they put into the game. I was out for an early run to catch the sunrise, and when I came back I checked the game - it popped up right at the login.”_

“A public cinematic…?” Yoshiko frowned, confused. “Some kind of event? A new raid?”

_“An event… I guess you could say that. Um, you should probably watch the video, first.”_

You sounded concerned. Yoshiko’s frown deepened, and she quickly accepted the file You sent her.

“…I’ll call you back when I’m done.”

Putting the call on hold, Yoshiko waited impatiently for the video to fully download, opening it up immediately after it downloaded.

At first, there was a splash of the Immortal Legends logo against a black background , with the iconic BGM playing in the back. Then a gradual fade to black, accompanied by mounting dramatic music.

Then…

“ _Everyone, SHINY~_ ☆ _!”_

An abrupt cut to the grinning face of a woman, rendered with the Immortal Legends graphics engine. She had wavy golden hair, and pale skin, white as a ghost, with matching golden eyes, inside which obscure eldritch symbols swirl. Two curved black horns protruded from the back of her head, curving forward towards her forehead. She wore beautiful, though revealing, white robes, embossed with purple floral patterns, and three pairs of large bat-like wings extended from the back of her waist, flapping gently in the air.

 _“I’m everyone’s favourite Shiny Shinier Shiniest Onee-san! It’s your Queen of Hell, Mari~_ ☆ _!”_

Yoshiko felt her eye twitch. Her blood pressure was probably skyrocketing. Queen of Hell…? Who does this woman take herself to be? _She_ was the Queen of Hell! Yohane! No one else! She ground her teeth together, but begrudgingly continued to watch the video.

 _“Ah, if you don’t recognize me, that’s because I’ve been away! I’ve been hanging out in America, see, and I’ve only just recently transferred my account back to the Japanese servers. How, you ask? That’s — a secret~_ ☆ _!”_

Account transfers. Theoretically possible, but it wasn’t a service offered to the general public by the development team. Only moderators and VIPs could transfer their accounts to other servers.

Who was this Mari? What kind of authority did she hold, that she could switch servers so easily?

_“But that’s not the point of this little recording. See, I’ve been poking around the previous tournament records, and I’ve found this pretty bomber head— Yohane, hmm? Queen of the Japanese Hell?”_

The devil woman - Mari - smiles toothily, her razor sharp teeth glinting. _“I think, there’s only space for one Queen in this Hell. And since there’s two of us… well, you can see where this is going.”_

Suddenly, the robes disappeared. Instead Mari was encased in a full suit of black plate armour, dark as the blackest night, and as sturdy as a tank. Raising a clawed gauntlet, Mari pointed at the screen, right at Yoshiko.

_“I challenge you, Fallen Angel Yohane, to a duel! We are both champions of the Immortal Legacy tournament, and we are both Queens of Hell. This battle will be legendary! It will go down in history as a Clash of Champions™!”_

Removing the faceplate of the full helm covering Mari’s face, she gave Yoshiko - the cinematic was undoubtedly addressed to Yoshiko - a sly grin.

 _“I’ll be waiting~_ ☆ _”_

The video stopped there.

Yoshiko - no - _Yohane_ balled her hand up into a fist, gripping it so hard that her knuckles turned white. She was shaking, her body trembling uncontrollably, a fire burning deep in her eyes. Her lips slowly curled up into a savage grin.

“If it’s a fight you’re looking for, Yohane will _always_ deliver. So sayeth the queen…”

* * *

When morning proper came around, after Ruby and Hanamaru woke up, Yoshiko explained the whole situation to them - the newcomer, the challenge, and her intention to meet the duel head on. After a hasty breakfast, Yoshiko had left Ruby and Hanamaru’s company - but instead of heading home, she went to the closest safe haven she knew of, wanting to engage in the duel as soon as possible.

“And… the closest safe haven is…” You scratched her head. “My house?”

Yoshiko nodded, not even sparing a glance for You. Once she’d plugged in her laptop she immediately began hammering furiously away at her keyboard, trawling the internet for information on her challenger.

“It’s the closest place I can think of where I won’t be disturbed, and I have an ally I can trust.”

You sighed, smiling weakly. “You’re really into this, huh?”

Yoshiko nodded without hesitation.

“The gauntlet has been thrown. I must respond.” Her hands never stopped as she spoke, clicking and typing as fast as humanly possible.

“…Do you think you’ll win?”

“I _must_ win.”

“…Okay.”

There’s a fire in Yoshiko’s belly. That’s what You saw in Yoshiko at that moment. A burning fire, eager to consume everything in its path.

 _Yoshiko being like this…_ You chuckled to herself. _I don’t dislike it._

It was a far cry from her normal, gloomy self. Or even how she usually was online.

Right now Yoshiko was fierce, intense. Powerful. Commanding.

Beautiful?

 _What the heck!_ Yo blushed, and shook her head to clear it.

“Do you have a plan? She’s a champion, just like you… well, from another server, but still.”

“I’ve been doing my research since I watched the video. I’ll have to admit, I’m impressed. Ohara Mari - only marginally more popular by her net moniker, ‘Shiny Onee-san’, is a part of the Ohara Business Conglomerate, most famous for their hotel chain but also known for other business ventures. Ohara herself is responsible for multiple ventures into the video games industry, and owns considerable shares of multiple prominent gaming companies.”

Yoshiko paused for a moment, gnawing nervously at her thumb. “She’s also a sponsor of Immortal Legends, and personally funded much of its development.”

“Wow… the rich girl type, huh? Explains how she got a cinematic of herself into the game, I guess.”

“Precisely. But she’s not _just_ that - she won the previous tournament entirely legitimately. She’s the real deal… although her build is… not particularly to my tastes.”

Yoshiko grimaced distastefully.

“…What’s wrong with her build?” You asked, hesitantly.

“It’s not pay-to-win, per se… but it certainly has a very pay-to-win mentality to it…” Yoshiko called up a video of one of Mari’s previous matches on her laptop, showing it to You. “How should I put it… it’s… a brute force approach to victory.”

The match was between Mari - in her armoured state - and a more lightly armoured duelist type angel.

“Pay particular attention to her health, You.”

It was a fairly standard open, for such a match up. Both combatants circled each other warily, waiting for an opening, unwilling to make the first strike. Mari wielded a massive ebony battle axe which she swung about with two hands, while her opponent had two glowing short swords.

Suddenly, Mari darted forward, swinging her axe downwards in a crushing down-swing. Her opponent darted away, but as the blade of the axe slammed into the ground, the floor smashed open, sending shards of stone shrapnel flying in all directions. Mari, being the closest, took the brunt of the shards, but a few made their way to her enemy as well, chipping some health away.

Whipping around impossibly quickly, Mari swung again, this time just barely grazing her opponent, who rolled in close, and struck a solid hit into Mari’s side with their swords.

“Wait… what?”

Mari’s health barely took a blip of damage from the direct hit. In fact, her opponent took more damage from the shrapnel than Mari did from the attack.

And— was she recovering the health back? Within seconds, the meagre damage dealt by the sword strike had completely regenerated, while Mari had continued to chip away at her opponent.

In the end, once her opponent’s stamina was completely drained from dodging, all it took was a single, massive swing to split the angel right down the middle. It was practically an OTK.

“Ah… I think I get what you mean…”

Mari was a mighty glacier - so to speak. Her defence, which was already absurd to begin with, was augmented by her regeneration and massive attack rating. If the enemy were to attack head on, she’d grind them into the dust. If the enemy were to try hit-and-run tactics, she’d also grind them into the dust. If the enemy took the time to stop and cast spells… well, you get the picture.

“Her tactics are… practically nonexistent. She simply defeats her opponents via overwhelming presence - an exceedingly simple, yet terrifyingly effective strategy.”

You glanced at Yoshiko. She was staring intently at the screen, her eyes following Mari’s every movement, while she nervously gnawed on her thumb nail. You could practically see the battle simulations being run in Yoshiko’s head, over and over, in her attempt to find a way to beat Mari.

You smiled, and carefully reached out, pulling Yoshiko’s hand away from her mouth. She held her hand tenderly, softly.

“You can do it, Yoshiko. No - Yohane. My queen.” You grinned. “I believe in you.”

Yoshiko went bright red. “Y-You… O-Of course!” She turned away haughtily. “Yohane knows no defeat.”

But she didn’t let go of the warmth in her hand.

“Now… let the challenge begin!”

* * *

A few minutes later, Yoshiko and You had logged in, and after being treated to the newly added, infuriating cinematic again, they arrived back in Gehenna, the main city for the Hell faction.

As they expected, the town was a mess, crawling with curious players who have caught wind of the challenge. It seemed the developers had temporarily opened up the city to all factions instead of just demons, because intermingling with the demonic races were also angels of all types, excitedly chattering away.

The moment Yohane registered as online, she was immediately flooded with a torrent of messages, asking about Mari’s challenge. Sifting through the numerous messages, Yoshiko sighed and glanced at You, sitting next to her. “Seems like I’ll have to do an announcement of my own…”

Switching to the global chat, Yoshiko started to type.

 

> _FallenAngelYohane: Listen well, denizens of Hell and Heaven. I have heard of this interloper from another realm, and I fully intend to answer her challenge. Now, or later, whenever she wishes to face me, I will be ready._

Once she sent the global announcement, there was an uproar in the chat, excited discussions popping up and being carried out at a rapid pace. Discussions like, who would win, what to expect, the respective abilities of each fighter - in that moment, the duel was all the entire server cared about.

You chuckled as she filtered through the innumerable chat streams in the global chat. “It seems you have the majority’s approval.”

“Of course, this is my home turf. The American interloper is the visiting team.”

Yoshiko narrowed her eyes as she received a message. “Ah… speak of the devil.”

 

> _Shiny-Oneesan: Hello~ My darling rival~_
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: What do you want?_
> 
> _Shiny-Oneesan: Ah, no need to be so short! We’re all friends here._
> 
> _FallenAngelYohane: …Perhaps. Still, I don’t believe you would contact me for mere pleasantries._
> 
> _Shiny-Oneesan: Okay, fair, you got me there._
> 
> _Shiny-Oneesan: I’m in the Arena right now. Spread the word - I want everyone to be there when I kick your ass_
> 
> _Shiny-Oneesan: lol~_ ☆

Yoshiko gritted her teeth, quickly typing out the response.

 

> _FallenAngelYohane: Make no mistake - I will be the one to seize victory._
> 
> _Shiny-Oneesan: We’ll see~_

Yoshiko narrowed her eyes. “I’m going.”

“…Good luck.”

It was a simple matter to teleport to the Arena - a massive gladiatorial ring constructed in the neutral territory between Heaven and Hell, where one on one PVP battles were conducted on the daily. Here, the top players of Immortal Legends battled everyday to sharpen their skills and prove their dominance - it was a familiar sight for Yoshiko.

Teleporting directly into the ring, she realized that Mari was already there, waiting for her - a towering titan, encased in gleaming black steel plates, wielding a massive war axe as long as she was tall.

Yoshiko quirked an eyebrow when she received a voice-chat request from Mari. She glanced at You, who shrugged, and after hesitating a moment longer, she accepted the request.

 _“Hiii~ It’s Mari~_ ☆ _!”_

The same vaguely foreign accented voice came though into Yoshiko’s headphones.

“…Your Japanese is surprisingly good, Ms. American Champion.”

_“Ah, well, I’m half Japanese on my mama’s side, you know? It’s in the blood~”_

Yoshiko nodded, closing her eyes for a moment.

“Shall we begin, then?”

 _“My thoughts exactly~_ ☆ _”_

Then they were moving, the chat exploding with excited commentary as the two combatants leapt at each other; Mari struck first, swinging her battleaxe in a horizontal arc, forcing Yohane to leap into the air to avoid the strike. The axe whistled through the air, missing her legs by a hair’s breadth, and as Mari stumbled to recover, Yohane made her move, reaching behind her and pulling out a gruesome looking weapon - a twisted scythe, seemingly carved out of a single, gigantic rib.

“[Hellfire Enchant]. [Lightning Enchant].” Yoshiko muttered under her breath, as she activated each of the enchantment skills and coated her scythe in a layer of pitch black flame and crackling lightning. Twisting in mid air, Yohane swung the scythe downwards, slashing Mari in the back with a blade of hellfire and electricity.

The armoured demon stumbled forward, its back smoking - but to You’s surprise, her health barely decreased at all.

“Wait - that was a direct hit, with twinned enchantments! How did that do so little damage?”

“I don’t know, but I imagine we’ll find out soon…!”

Yohane dodged back just in time to avoid a mighty backswing from Mari, the black iron axe just barely missing the fallen angel’s midriff. Hopping back a few paces, Yoshiko licked her lips to wet them, smiling thinly.

“[Shadow Step]. [Shade Form].”

Suddenly leaping forward, Mari couldn’t even react as Yohane rocketed towards her, swinging the enchanted scythe straight at her. Delivering a solid slash to Mari’s chest, she then _passed straight through_ Mari, emerging behind her and slashing Mari in the back this time.

The demon stumbled forward, both front and back smoking from the rapid assault. She twisted around, her axe singing through the air - but instead of cleaving Yohane in half, the axe simply phased straight through the fallen angel, her image flickering like a shadow.

_“Oho… Black magic… this is your artifact at play, right? The ‘Cursed Scythe’ Grimsever, which amplifies the effects of black magic. Otherwise a simple Shade Form wouldn’t have allowed you to dodge my attacks…!”_

“You’ve done your research, I see…”

_“Of course! I don’t just challenge anyone willy nilly, you know?”_

Mari rushed forward with a sudden burst of speed, whipping her axe around and slashing at Yohane, only to have the axe pass harmlessly through Yohane again.

“It’s useless. With the increased duration, I can maintain Shade Form indefinitely…! A melee character like yourself can’t possibly damage me.”

Yoshiko chuckled as she circled around Mari, peppering her with blasts of black magic and closing in for the occasional slice with Grimsever. Mari tried to retaliate, but each and every time, her axe would just pass harmlessly through Yohane’s form.

_“Ah, kiting! The oldest of strategies. But you know, something like that won’t be enough to defeat me…”_

For every pixel of damage that Yohane could do to Mari, a second later Mari would recover two back. It was true - as long as Mari had her regeneration powers, Yohane could do nothing to permanently damage Mari.

“You’re right. Kiting alone won’t suffice…” Yoshiko smiled grimly. “[Black Coffin Seal].”

_“Oh! That’s… clever. A sealing spell.”_

Just as Mari uttered those words, her character was blasted back by a bolt of black energy, slamming into the wall of the colosseum and causing the master-worked stone to shatter.

“The Black Coffin Seal allows me to remove your access to any one skill. Looks like my guess was correct - you just went and dumped all of your skill points into Demonic Vitality, didn’t you? That’s how you’ve amassed that ridiculous level of HP regeneration.”

_“Oh my~ You’re a smart one… how did you figure it out?”_

Mari pulled herself out of the wall, her armour smoking and pitted, her chest plate completely buckled in. She chuckled, loosening up her joints as she stepped out of the pile of rubble.

“In all of the past recordings, you’ve hardly used any active skills at all, relying solely on basic attacks. That tells me you’ve been stacking all of your points into a passive skill slot.”

Another bolt of black lighting crashed into Mari, sending her back into the crater in the wall, deepening the cracks and pressing her even more firmly into the stone.

“And of all of the regeneration skills, only a handful can be stacked - and only one is accessible to the demon race from the start. That’s Demonic Vitality. It’s incredibly underpowered at lower levels, but it seems if you invest enough into it, you can get _something_ good out of it.”

Yohane stepped up to the massive, blackened crater in the wall, her scythe burning with hellfire and brimstone. Mari’s health was still high, but the damage she suffered wasn’t regenerating anymore.

“If I didn’t know your strategy… there would have been no way I could win. The best I could hope for would be a tie.”

Yohane raised her scythe up, charging the attack up with as many black enchantments she could muster.

“But now that your secret is out… it’s checkmate for you, Ohara.”

_“Is it…?”_

“What do you mean… Hm?!” Yohane leapt back, but it was too late - Mari’s black iron war axe erupted from the smoke… and struck Yohane firmly in the side. Yohane was sent flying, her health plummeting down to only a tenth of her full health.

“How?! Shade Form should still be active…!”

_“Oh it is still active… it’s just useless~ lol~”_

“Did you just say ‘lol’ out loud?”

Mari only laughed out loud as she pried herself out of the crater, towering over the fallen Yohane.

_“Tell me. Your Grimsever, which forms the basis of your black magic build. Where did you get it?”_

Yoshiko frowned. “The Tournament. The winner of the max level division gets a custom artifact designed by the dev team… Ah!”

She looked up, shocked. “You… your artifact…!”

_“It seems you’ve got the right idea!”_

Mari laughed, swinging her axe again.

This time, Yohane was bisected, disappearing into a cloud of pixels.

There was a long silence as the last vestiges of Yohane’s existence drifted off into nothing.

And then…

_“I win~~!”_

The chat exploded with comments of excitement, everyone in the server venting their disbelief into the global chat. The chat updated so quickly that You could barely track what was going on anymore - all she got was that everyone was hyped up to the extreme from how the fight turned out.

“I… lost?”

You’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked over to Yoshiko.

The girl was staring blankly at the screen, her hands frozen, hovering above the last commands she was about to issue.

“Y-Yoshiko…!”

“How. _How?_ ”

She grabbed the microphone on her headset. “ _How did you beat me?!_ ”

“— _Titanium_.”

“ _What?!_ ”

_“…My artifact. Titanium. My armour… and my axe. It has the [Magic Resist] effect, but only on one of the two. I can either have an unbreakable defence…”_

“…Or an unblockable offense…” Yoshiko allowed her head to fall. “It resisted my Shade Form…?”

_“Precisely.”_

“I… see.”

Yoshiko nodded, smiling weakly. “I see…”

Clicking quickly, she stopped the voice chat. After a moment’s hesitation, she logged out of Immortal Legends as well.

You bit her lip, reaching for her. “Yoshiko…”

To You’s dismay, Yoshiko flinched away, shrinking back and turning away from You.

“Sorry…” She muttered weakly. “I… need a moment.”

She stood up shakily, staggering towards the door.

“Are you… going home?” You asked, tentatively.

Yoshiko didn’t answer her, grasping the door knob.

“…Do you want me to take you to the station?”

Yoshiko hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head, pulling the door open.

“Are…” You swallowed, her mouth feeling dry. “…Are you okay?”

Yoshiko stopped suddenly, freezing in place for a moment. Then, slowly, she turned towards You, with a smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah,” She said. “I’m… fine. I just…”

She shook her head slightly. “I just need time to think… okay?”

And with that, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

You stared at the door, her hand stretched out as though to grab hold of the air. Her grip tightened on nothing, and she drew her hand close to her heart.

“Okay…” She murmured, worriedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mari is a filthy whale and we all know it
> 
> To clarify on Mari's artifact, Titanium, it's a set of Armor and Axe with the property [Magic Resist], but only on either the armor or the axe, and not both at the same time. The Magic Resist property allows whatever item which has it ignore a portion of the effects of magic - so if Mari sets the Armor to have Resist, it would have a higher resistance towards magical attacks. Likewise, if Mari sets the Axe to have Resist, it would be able to somewhat bypass spell-based defenses (such as Shade Form).
> 
> So it's not OP, as Mari can only have Magic Resist on one or the other, but not both. Furthermore, because it's a full set, she can't customize her equipment any further. Yohane lost because she was careless, and because her character is a glass cannon that can't take more than a few hits from a tank like Mari.


	3. The Gears Begin to Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

Yoshiko ended up not speaking to Yo again for the rest of the weekend. Yo sent her a message asking if she was okay, but all she received, in turn, was a brief, “It’s fine”.

When she boarded the bus to school, she was still checking her phone to see if Yoshiko had said anything else. As she’d expected (but not as she hoped), there was still no response. She sighed, pocketing her phone again and staring glumly out of the window. After Yoshiko’s crushing defeat at the hands of Mari, Yo’s had this bad feeling bubbling in her gut that she just couldn’t shake, and her experiences of getting into trouble with Chika has taught her to respect those gut feelings.

She could tell that Yoshiko was badly shaken by that loss, but she wasn’t sure just how bad was it. She bit her lip, revisiting Yoshiko’s expression in her mind. It was more than frustration, more than just defeat. It was resignation, desperation, and… a chilling sense of acceptance.

Yo didn’t like that expression. Her instincts had screamed at her to chase after Yoshiko when she left, but at the same time, she wanted to respect Yoshiko’s wishes for some alone time.

As she was lost in thought, the bus drew up to the Tochiman inn, and Chika and Riko filed onto the bus, holding hands and laughing about something or another.

“Yo! Good morning!”

Chika waved cheerfully at Yo, before frowning upon coming closer. “Hey, you okay? You seem kind of, uh, out of it.”

Yo blinked, shook her head slightly, and looked over to Chika, smiling weakly. “Hey. Sorry, I’m just… distracted.”

Chika hummed, eying Yo suspiciously, before turning to Riko. “What’d ya think? Isn’t Yo a little out of it?”

“Um…” Riko looked between Chika and Yo, before saying uncertainly, “Well, you do look tired… have you been sleeping properly?”

Yo laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. Riko hit the nail on the head - she’d been online most of the night, checking to see if Yoshiko had come online at any point, as well as keeping an eye on the fallout of the duel between Yohane and Mari.

“Ah— You were up playing, right?” Chika suddenly said, grinning. “The duel between Yohane and Mari - it must’ve gotten you fired up, huh?”

“T-The duel, right.” Yo laughed airily, smiling along with Chika. “You got me, haha…”

Riko leaned close to Chika and whispered, “This is that Immortal Legends game, right?”

“Right!” Chika nodded, and laughed, elbowing Yo in the side. “I introduced you to the game, but now you’re even more addicted than me, huh? Jeez, you really have no self-control, huh, Yo?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, you impulsive mikan…” Yo smirked wryly, pinching Chika’s cheek.

“Oww!” Chika whined, turning to look at Riko with puppy-dog eyes. “Riko, Yo is bullying me.”

“She’s… got a point,” Riko said.

“Etu, Riko?” Chika reeled back, in mock horror at the betrayal.

“Sorry!” Riko said, only a little apologetically. “It’s just, you really do have no self-control sometimes…”

“Oh yeah, you’d know,” Chika said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Chika!” Riko blushed and slapped Chika lightly on the arm. “Stop!”

“Get a room, you two,” Yo grumbled, with mock disgust. She sighed, though, as her thoughts returned to their previous topic, and she glanced over to Chika. “Hey, Chika?”

“Yeah?”

“What did you think about the duel?” She asked, curious about Chika’s view of it. “You saw it, right?”

“Hmm? Yeah, I did.” Chika pondered the question for a moment before starting slowly, “I guess it was surprising? Like, Yohane is one of the top Japan players, and she got totally bodied by Mari. Though she’s the US champion, so maybe it wasn’t as big a surprise.”

“It’s gotta be a shock to Yohane’s fans, though,” She said as an afterthought.

“Hm.” Yo nodded slowly, before asking, “…How do you think she felt?”

“Who? Yohane?” Chika asked, tilting her head. “Well… I’m not her, so I can’t say for sure, but… if I were the best player on the server, and I got totally trashed…”

Chika frowned, thinking hard. “Mmm… I’d say I’d feel pretty dang useless. I’m the best, but I’m still not good enough to win… something like that?”

Yo nodded thoughtfully, mulling the response over.

“Something like that, huh.”

It made sense to Yo, but she’s long since learned that she and Yoshiko thought very differently. She didn’t dare to make too many assumptions about how Yoshiko felt - she didn’t want to come off as pushing too hard or being too insensitive. Yo knew that she could be a bit oblivious at times.

Sighing, she shrugged and decided to drop the subject for now.

“So what did you two do over the weekend?” She asked instead.

“Oh! Well, I took her over to Awashima to look at the marine park.” Chika paused. “It was fun, but she didn’t like the frogs.”

“You showed her the frogs?” Yo frowned. “That’s not very romantic.”

“Right?” Riko said, sighing in exasperation. “You’re the worst girlfriend.”

But despite saying that, Riko leaned subtly closer to Chika, their fingers intertwined together. The small motion didn’t slip past Yo’s notice, but she didn’t say anything about it. All she could do now was support the two of them silently, cheering them on in her mind. Riko was shy and Chika was obtuse, sometimes, but they deserved to be with each other.

At least, that was what Yo kept telling herself.

Trying to distract herself from those toxic thoughts, she then asked, “But the marine park was fun, right? Did you see the penguins?”

“I did! They’re very cute.” Riko smiled, though she frowned slightly at the memory. “Though they didn’t smell the best…”

“Oh!” Chika spoke up suddenly, perking up. “We met Kanan!”

“Did you now?” Yo asked, curious.

“Yeah!” Chika nodded excitedly. “She’s gonna be in school today!”

“Really?” Yo tilted her head. “She told me her grandfather still had a few days until recovery…”

“Apparently her gramps didn’t want her to miss any more school, so he called off any appointments for the week and closed up shop.”

“Wow, that’s nice of him,” Yo commented, glancing out of the bus window as it turned a corner and came into view of the school station. Shouldering her bag, she stood up, thinking out loud: “Maybe we can visit her during break?”

“Yeah! That sounds good,” Chika said excitedly, as they got off the bus.

Yo looked around as they walked up the long slope to the school, glancing about distractedly. She almost walked into a streetlight, and nearly went straight off the slope down into the sea,

Noticing Yo acting off, Chika leaned in, tilting her head comically sideways. “What’s up?”

“Huh?” Yo blinked, and quickly smiled, shaking her head. “Oh, it’s nothing. Come on, we’re gonna be late.”

Chika stared at her for a while as Yo hurried up the slope, before eventually shrugging and following after her, with a confused Riko bringing up the rear.

* * * * *

“Ahhh, I thought she’d never stop!”

Chika complained loudly, once the bell for morning break sounded. “Honestly, what’s the big deal with binomials anyway? I’m gonna run an inn, not be a rocket scientist…”

“You should always keep your options open, Chika,” Riko said firmly, tapping the open exercise book on Chika’s table. “Now, you need to finish this now or you’ll have to stay back after school, so get working.”

“Why is homework even a thing anyway…” Chika grumbled. She glanced over to Yo, who was resting her head on her table and staring across the aisle at Chika and Riko. “Oh, right… you were going to go see Kanan, right? You don’t have to wait for us, you can just go.”

Chika grimaced. “I’m probably gonna be here for a while…”

Riko nodded in agreement, and Yo sighed, scratching her head as she stood up. “I’ll tell her you said hi,” She promised, waving them goodbye and leaving the classroom.

Honestly, it was just as well - Yo needed some time to herself. Dealing with Chika and Riko, lovely as they were, was frankly exhausting.

She wanted to speak to Yoshiko. But, Kanan would have to do.

She made her way over to the third year’s classroom, poking her head in through the doorway and looking around. Kanan’s nowhere to be found, but there were a few of her seniors on the swim team, sitting and chatting, so she walked up and waved hello.

“Ah, Yo! What’s up?” One of the seniors - the swim team captain, actually - grinned, waving at Yo as well.

“Is Kanan around?” Yo asked. “I was told she’s at school today but… looks like she’s stepped out.”

The seniors glanced amongst each other for a moment before turning back to Yo.

“Uh… yeah, she was here, but she left with Ohara to talk about something…”

Yo frowned. There was that name again - Ohara. Kanan mentioned them when they hung out. “Ohara? The rich family?”

“Yeah, their daughter transferred back in after being gone for a year. Ohara asked if she could speak to Kanan privately, so they went up to the room. They just left, you should be able to catch her if you’re fast.”

“Okay, thanks, Cap! I’ll see you during practice tomorrow!”

“See ya, Yo.”

Yo turned and ran out, heading for the roof. Going up the stairs, she slowed down, carefully making her way past the open door and stopping just short of coming into view from the rooftop.

“…What did you want to talk to me about that couldn’t be done in the classroom, Mari?”

Yo peeked out from around the corner, taking care to keep quiet. She felt bad for listening in, but at the same time, her curiosity couldn’t be contained. Kanan was on first name terms with the Ohara girl - Mari - so they had to know each other. Yo didn’t remember anyone by the name of Mari being in town, and she knew just about every girl in Uchiura.

Kanan was standing on the roof, with her arms crossed, her expression impassive. Yo hadn’t seen Kanan like that in… ever, really. She always seemed so at ease and easy going, it was kind of unnerving to see this side of her - cold, and inscrutable.

The girl she was talking to was blonde, around the same height as Kanan, with dazzling golden eyes. A foreigner? And- her name was Mari? Yo studied her features again, and indeed, she very much resembled the Mari that had defeated Yoshiko in Immortal Legends. Kanan knew that Mari?

Mari had a smile on her face as she said, “Well, I wanted to catch up with you, Kanan. It’s been so long since I’ve spoken to my best friend.”

She put heavy emphasis on the end, and Kanan almost seemed to flinch at those words. But just as quickly, Kanan recovered her composure, breathing in and fixing Mari with a hard stare.

“Why are you back, Mari?” She asked quietly. “Why come back? Why now?”

Mari’s smile slipped at Kanan’s question.

“That’s it? No ‘welcome back’? No ‘how have you been’?” Mari’s expression quickly turned into a frown. “Just, that?”

Kanan turned away, looking away from Mari.

“I didn’t want you to come back.” She said, her expression unreadable.

“You didn’t…” Mari looked shaken for a moment, before she shakes her head, hardening her expression. “Of course you didn’t. Silly me, why would Kanan ever want me back?”

She laughed airily, shrugging and starting towards the stairs. Yo jumped and prepared to leave, but she stopped when she saw Mari pause right before the corner.

“Just so you know, I’m not back because of you,” Mari said cooly. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m back for the school, and nothing else.”

Then she suddenly changed tones entirely and flashed Kanan a smug grin. “Ciao~”

Rounding the corner, she seemed only mildly surprised to find Yo standing in front of the stairwell, staring at her. Mari smirked and put her finger to her lips in a shush gesture, giving her a wink like she’d told Yo some kind of inside joke. She then breezed past Yo, heading down the stairway with a spring in her step.

But despite her confident smile, Yo had just barely managed to catch a flash of wetness at the corners of her eyes. Yo stared at the girl as she rounded the corner of the staircase and disappeared from sight, then turned back to the rooftop.

As she wondered what to do, she heard Kanan sniff, and start walking towards the stairs. She didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping by Kanan, so she beat a hasty retreat, quickly heading back to the second year classroom before Kanan could catch her.

All the while, she couldn’t get the conversation out of her head, replaying the short back-and-forth over and over again in her mind. Kanan knew Mari, who was also the American champion on Immortal Legends, who had beaten Yoshiko, who had been in shock because of that. A strangely interconnected web of events.

…It seems things are going to get hectic again… Yo thought, wearily, as she went back into the classroom.

* * * * *

Time flew by in class. Yo barely paid any attention to class - she could just ask for Riko’s notes anyway - and the moment they were released from class, she bolted to her feet, cramming all of her things into her bag.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Chika asked, looking up from the maths exercise that she still hadn’t finished yet. “A date?”

“No, just the first year’s classroom,” Yo said quickly, shouldering her bag.

Chika had a sly smile on her face. “Tsushima?”

Yo blushed, looking away. “Shut up, Chika. Your girlfriend is waiting for you to get done.”

Chika pouted, looking briefly down at her work before back up at Yo. “But it’s booooring.”

Riko reached across the table and pinched Chika on the cheek. “Finish it. Or we can’t go home.”

Chika sighed, her gaze slowly dropping back down to the page. “Fine. You have fun with the first years, Yo. …I’ll be stuck here for a while…” Finishing her sentence gloomily, she reluctantly continued to write, under Riko’s watchful supervision.

After silently cheering Chika on, Yo left the classroom, hurrying down to the first year’s classroom.

Since school had only just ended, it was still crowded and busy, and Yo waited a few moments at the door for the stream of fleeing students to subside before heading in. Hanamaru and Ruby were still there, idly chatting as they slowly packed up. They noticed Yo in the doorway and waved excitedly.

“Yo! Good afternoon, zura!” Hanamaru said, smiling at her as she approached.

“What’s up, Hanamaru, Ruby?” Yo grinned, giving the two of them a salute. She looked around, before turning back to the two. “Is Yoshiko not around?”

Hanamaru was about to answer when a shrill, obnoxious voice sounded.

“If you looking for the freak, she’s already left.”

Yo narrowed her eyes. “Aoki.”

Aoki sneered at Yo from across the room. Both girls’ glares were frigid, and the tension was palpable.

But then Aoki shrugged and turned away, going to leave the classroom. “I’m busy today so I don’t have the time to deal with the rabble. Come on, girls. Let’s go.”

Yo glared at her as she left, before turning to Ruby and Hanamaru for confirmation.

“She did leave,” Ruby nodded.

“Right…” Yo sighed, and straightened up, giving them a quick smile. “Okay, thanks a bunch you two. I’m gonna go, then.”

Just as she was about to leave, Ruby spoke up suddenly.

“Um! If you happen to bump into Yoshiko, um…” Ruby tapped her fingers together awkwardly. "Could… could you ask her to cheer up? She seemed… off, today.”

Yo thought about it for a moment. It had to be the defeat, right? She nodded, saying, “I’ll try my best, but you know how Yoshiko can be sometimes.”

Ruby and Hanamaru laughed - they did know. All three of them were well aware of Yoshiko’s temperament - maybe that’s exactly why Ruby asked Yo to go instead of seeking Yoshiko out herself. Waving goodbye to the girls, Yo left the room, hurrying downstairs towards the entrance.

There were still throngs of girls loitering around the school grounds, slowly filtering out through the school gates, and it took Yo a while before she could track down Yoshiko, whose distinctive bun set her apart from the crowd.

Yo was about to run up to her when she stopped suddenly, caught off guard by an unusual sight: Yoshiko was talking to a group of girls, who looked like they belonged to the relatively popular clique.

Yo frowned, but she actually knew some of the girls in the group - they were on the swim team - so she let the conversation play out, watching as Yoshiko nodded in response to something the girls said. Yo couldn’t see Yoshiko’s expression - her back was to Yo - but it seemed like the girl Yoshiko was talking was satisfied, nodding with a smile before departing with the rest of the group, leaving Yoshiko standing alone.

Yo gave her a few seconds before stepping up, calling her name and waving. “Hey, Yoshiko!”

Yoshiko flinched as though she’d been hit, and turned around slowly, giving Yo a weak smile. “Ah… hi, Yo…”

Noting her reaction with some worry, Yo asked cautiously, “So… what were you talking about?”

“Oh! It’s, erm…” Yoshiko shook her head quickly. “It’s nothing. Really.”

“They weren’t giving you any trouble, were they?” Yo said sharply, eying the departing group suspiciously.

“No!” Yoshiko said quickly, shaking her head insistently. “No. It’s… it’s nothing, really. We just wanted to talk.”

“Well, okay.” Yo acquiesced, holding up her hands placatingly. “I just wanted to make sure you’re doing alright. Especially with…” She trailed off, but she was sure Yoshiko knew what she was talking about.

Yoshiko grimaced.

“About that…” She breathed in. “I’d… like to apologize for that, actually. I lost my composure and ran off without explaining anything. Sorry.”

“No, that’s okay! It’s fine. It must’ve been a shock.” Yo said, remembering what Chika thought of the duel. “I don’t blame you for needing a moment to yourself. At least you look like you’re… doing a little better now? Are you going to be okay for the tournament?”

“Well…” Yoshiko hesitated.

“Actually… I, erm…” She closed her eyes, breathing in a deep breath to steel her nerves. Somehow it was harder to tell Yo than to muster up the resolve to actually go through with her decision.

“I’m… going to take a break from Immortal Legends.”

Yo felt her heart stop for a moment. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at Yoshiko. “You… what?”

“I was… thinking.” Yoshiko said slowly. “That maybe I should… spend a little more time… doing something else.” She looked at Yo hopefully. “Maybe… spend some more time with you?”

“Well,” Yo blushed, not sure what to what to say in response. “…Good for you? I mean, um, I’d love to hang out with you more, yeah. That sounds… great.”

She really didn’t know what to say. It was really good that Yoshiko wanted to do things other than Immortal Legends, and it was really sweet that she wanted to spend more time with Yo, but at the same time, it had Yo worried. She knew how much Immortal Legends meant to Yoshiko. For her to just… give it up…

“What about the tournament?” Yo asked, after a moment. “Weren’t you looking forward to that?”

A complicated expression flashed across Yoshiko’s face before she shook her head and smiled at Yo. “That’s… well, I’ve already been champion once. I should let others have a shot at it, right?”

“I… guess…”

Yo nodded slowly. She was still uneasy, but there was nothing she could think of to say that wouldn’t upset or offend Yoshiko in some way. She didn’t want her to think that Yo was opposed to her being more proactive in her life or something.

Besides, Yo did want to spend more time with her. It could be the turning point in their relationship that Yo was waiting for.

She jumped suddenly - Yoshiko had gently tugged on her hand. Their hands weren’t in contact for long, but the sensation lingered on her skin, making her suddenly hyper-aware of her sweaty palm. They hadn’t held hands since the day when Yo was sick and Yoshiko had come to visit her in her bedroom - but the brief touch reminded her of that time.

Yo glanced up at Yoshiko, who was smiling at her.

“Um… should we go? You don’t have swim practice today, right?”

Yo stared at her for a moment, before shaking herself from her reverie and nodded quickly. “Yeah, before the queue at the bus stop gets too long…”

They set off, walking past the school gates. Despite her unease, Yo starts chatting with Yoshiko about inane school life, trying hard to ignore that gnawing doubt in her mind. Yoshiko was trying to change for the better - that was a good thing.

…Right?


	4. Big Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calling for editors/beta readers! If anyone out there is willing to read for this sad writer, please message here or through my tumblr: (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)
> 
> Perks include: early access to my terrible drafts and influence on my creative process! Also I do art and stuff if that's what you're into.
> 
> Help is *much* appreciated

Water rushed around her. Her arms sliced through the water’s surface, bringing with them a slew of bubbles. There was a muffled drone as the pumps brought water in and out of the pool, and the waves lapped gently, but insistently against the poolside.

Yo closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, before she pushed explosively off the wall, her body falling naturally into an aerodynamic form as she torpedoed forward in a stream of bubbles. She could feel the flow of currents all around her as she scythed through the water, legs pumping like the tail of a dolphin.

Sometimes she just swam. It helped her think.

She crossed the quarter line without even realizing it, not even running out of breath yet, but she still surfaced, taking a breath of fresh air and starting to move her arms, transitioning from the push-off into a proper crawl.

_I’m going to take a break from Immortal Legends._

Yo couldn’t stop thinking about Yoshiko’s decision. It came as a shock to her, of course, and Yo couldn’t help but feel a little left out that Yoshiko had made this decision without her. It was a selfish feeling, for sure; Yoshiko didn’t owe anything to Yo to include her in these decisions. But still, Yoshiko had promised that they would try their hand at the tournament together, even if in different level divisions.

Beyond that, though, Yo can’t help but be worried. Even though Yoshiko promises that it’s going to make things better, Yo knows how much the game means to her. How much blood, sweat, and tears she poured into it. Putting aside whether it was a healthy habit or not, Yoshiko’s life once revolved around that game. The fact that Yoshiko was willing to stop playing Immortal Legends was… concerning.

But then there was the other thing.

_I’d like to spend some more time with you._

Yo felt her stomach flutter just at the memory of Yoshiko’s reasoning for quitting Immortal Legends. She’d been too stunned by Yoshiko’s decisions to properly react to that at the time, but now that Yo’s had some time to think about it, she was surprised at how forward Yoshiko was.

…Yoshiko was trying her best to make their relationship work.

Yo exhaled, trailing bubbles in her wake. Yoshiko was always the one who was trying, the one moving forward. You were always too busy stuck in the past. Stuck in the long-dead hopes that something will happen as long as she pined after Chika for long enough.

Yo felt sick. Self-loathing was a feeling rarely felt by her, but there was no other way You could describe how she felt these few days.

“Watanabe!”

She could only hear the voice of her swim coach vaguely through the water, but it was enough to jolt her back to reality.

She had a split second to slow down before she smashed face first into the side of the pool. She still did smash face first into the tiles, but at least she managed to brake enough so the impact produced little more than a bruised forehead and a wounded ego.

Bobbing up to the surface, Yo laughed self-deprecatingly as she looked towards her coach. “Sorry, Coach Masuda. I was… uh, distracted.”

“No, really?” Masuda sighed, kneeling down by the poolside. “You’ve got to get your head in the game, Yo. Official competitions may be on hold but that doesn’t mean you get to rest on your laurels.”

She gestured for a timekeeper to approach and looked at Yo’s times. She frowned and turned back to Yo with a disappointed look on her face. “Your times have gotten worse by a few seconds. Is everything alright? Have you kept up with training?”

Yo cringed. She didn’t think it would be that bad. “No, Coach. I’ve been training every week. It… it’s probably just not my day.”

Masuda breathed out, and nodded, reaching down and patting Yo on the shoulder. “Let’s hope that’s the case. You’re our team ace, Yo. The first and second years look up to you as an example. Take care of yourself, okay?”

Yo nodded, giving Masuda a sharp, “Yes, ma’am.” Satisfied, Masuda gestured for the next batch of swimmers to enter the water. Yo clambered out of the pool, gratefully accepting a towel from a junior.

“Thanks, Ayane,” Yo smiled at her, eliciting an excited squeak.

“Y-You’re welcome!” The girl said. There was a long pause as the girl glanced towards her friends, who nodded encouragingly. She turned back to Yo and started hesitantly, “Er, Watanabe?”

“Yeah?” Yo tilted her head.

“Um… if you don’t mind me asking…” The first year leaned a little closer. “What… er, rather, how do you know Tsushima Yoshiko?”

Yo blinked. She didn’t expect that question. “Uh… come again?” She asked, thinking she may have heard wrong.

“It’s just… my friends are saying that they’ve seen you hang around Tsushima a lot recently, and they’re curious why that is.”

“Oh! I see,” Yo nodded. She paused for a moment, thinking of what to say. “We played the same MMORPG, is all, and there’s an event in the game that’s coming up.” _Not technically a lie._

“Oh. So you’re just, er, gaming friends?” Yo nodded, and the first year breathed a sigh. “I see. Okay, sorry for taking up your time.”

“No problem,” You smiled, and wrapping the towel around her shoulders, she walked towards the changing rooms. Having done her reps and benchmarking tests, she was free to leave.

Just as well, she had something important she had to do. 

* * * * * 

> _Yousoro: Tank on left_
> 
> _BigBOI: on it_
> 
> _Yousoro: 10 sec CD on AOE_
> 
> _BigBOI: k_
> 
> _GngsKhan: aight_

Yo breathed out, her eyes trained on the monitor. On it was the familiar visuals of Immortal Legends, showing Yo and her party mid-raid. It was a grey, gloomy dungeon, with aged stone bricks and mist drifting across the floor. Yo’s character stood side by side with another devil in heavy plate and an undead lich against a towering skeletal dragon and its horde of zombified dragonlings.

On Yo’s command, the plate warrior ran to the left, blocking off the advance of a small cluster of the dragonlings. By themselves the mobs were fragile, but because the dragon boss kept spawning them it became an uphill battle to hold them off while Yo and the lich kited the dragon to grind down its health pool.

Yo remembered Yohane telling her that most undead enemies had large HP reserves but low mana - once she could bait its strongest skills, it would be a long while until the dragon could perform them again.

> _Yousoro: baiting the breath attack_
> 
> _Yousoro: khan, refresh necro shield_

The lich raised his skull-tipped staff, and an aura of grey particles surrounded Yo’s avatar. She immediately darted forward, using Blink to bypass the front guard of dragonlings and launching a fireball straight into the large dragon’s ribcage, detonating it once it’s inside. The dragon roared in pain, and Yo knew she’d attracted its aggression.

As soon as the fire effect faded away, the dragon hissed and suddenly reared back on its hind-legs, seeming to inhale deeply despite possessing no organs. Glowing black spots coalesced in its maw, and then it suddenly lurched forward, a spray of inky black fire surging from its jaws towards Yo’s avatar in retaliation. She immediately moved to dodge, but even then, the spray had too much spread, catching the lower half of her avatar as she rolled to the side.

Thankfully, with GngsKhan’s shield buff, the attack only took off about a quarter of Yo’s health, putting her in the perfect spot to counterattack. Activating one of the macros that Yohane had helped her set up, her character immediately launched an unavoidable volley of flame-jets, stunning the boss just long enough to set up for the big hit - an orb of lava that consumed most of Yo’s MP. When it hit, though, it clung to the boss’ frame, continuing to burn away at its health until it was easily dispatched by a few sword swings of BigBOI.

As the model of the dragon dissolved into dusty particles, and the spawned dragonlings disappeared as well, Yo let out a deep sigh, typing a quick congratulation into the chat.

> _Yousoro: Thanks for the assist, guys._
> 
> _BigBOI: np_
> 
> _GngsKhan: im not gonna leave her highness’ apprentice hanging lol_

Both of her party members were acquaintances of Yohane, who agreed to help Yo complete a quest she couldn’t clear on her own.

> _BigBOI: btw_
> 
> _BigBOI: yousoro_
> 
> _BigBOI: rumor has it that Yohane is quitting_
> 
> _BigBOI: cuz she got beaten by the american champion_
> 
> _BigBOI: is that true?_

Yo sighed. BB wasn’t the first person to ask her about Yohane. It was fairly common knowledge at this point that Yohane had taken Yousoro under her wing, so when Yohane went missing for a day or two Yo started getting private messages in the dozens asking about Yohane. Yo answered them in the same way:

> _Yousoro: She’s taking a break for now._
> 
> _Yousoro: I’m not at the liberty to say anymore._
> 
> _BigBOI: i getcha_
> 
> _BigBOI: well if you ever talk to her just tell her we miss her_
> 
> _BigBOI: the raid scene just isn’t the same without her lol_

With that, her party members teleported away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Yoshiko was a legend in the community. Or rather, Yohane was. Her legacy was much more than just her player character. She’d pioneered raid strategies, inspired top tier players, influenced the beta development of the game, even had a location named after her in honor of a record-breaking expansion raid.

Yo wanted to believe that Yoshiko wasn’t so fragile that a single defeat could make her abandon all that she’s accomplished. She desperately wanted to.

Eying the greyed out entry of Yohane in her friends list, though, Yo couldn’t help but feel a deep unease. She was missing something from the picture, something big. If only she’d looked a little harder…

She blinked suddenly, as a message popped up on screen.

> _SakuraSketch: Hello?_

_SakuraSketch…_ They’re new. Yo didn’t recognize the name. She clicked open their character profile. Level 1. A complete newbie. They were wandering around the starting town for devils. Sighing, Yo quickly typed up a private message while teleporting to Gehenna.

Appearing in the travel hub of Gehenna, Yo looked around the map for SakuraSketch. After a while, Yo finally tracked them down to the Main Street where all the low- to mid-tier shops and services were provided. Summoning a fiery steed beneath her so she didn’t have to walk the whole way, Yo made her way to where SakuraSketch was on the map. She stopped a few paces away from SakuraSketch’s avatar - a succubus type demon with long dark-red hair and delicate wisp-like wings floating behind her.

> _Yousoro: Hello._
> 
> _Yousoro: Is there something you need from me?_

SakuraSketch turned around to face Yo.

> _SakuraSketch: As you can see, I’m just starting out…_
> 
> _SakuraSketch: A friend mentioned that you knew a lot of secrets about getting a good start…_

A friend, huh. Yo breathed out, thinking the situation over. Not to brag, but she was one of the better known mid-tier players at this point; not just because of Yohane’s mentorship, but also through legitimate achievements. If SakuraSketch’s friend was someone familiar with the speed at which Yo climbed the ladder, it wasn’t entirely unfeasible.

> _Yousoro: I see._
> 
> _Yousoro: Well, I guess I have some time to spare._
> 
> _SakuraSketch: Thank you very much!_
> 
> _SakuraSketch: Once I’ve gotten used to the game, if there’s anything I can help with…_

You sighed, smiling wryly to herself. The student had now become the teacher. Would Yoshiko be proud of her?

> _Yousoro: It’s fine, call it a welcome package._
> 
> _Yousoro: I myself was taught by a friend anyway, so… let’s call it paying it forward._
> 
> _Yousoro: When you get to grips with the game, you go help someone as well._
> 
> _Yousoro: Anyway, let’s start with the basics…_

* * * * *

“ _Ah~_ ” Yo yawned. She ended up not getting much sleep at all. Even after Sakura had logged off, Yo kept playing, smashing herself uselessly against a dungeon boss. It was one that she had easily taken down with Yohane’s guidance, but now she found it an almost insurmountable challenge.

She’d been relying too much on Yohane as a safety net, maybe.

Shaking her head, Yo tried to stay awake as the bus made it’s way down the road leading through Uchiura, the gentle drone of the engines acting like a lullaby song to her sleep-deprived mind.

“Ah, there she is!”

Yo blinked, just about to slip into a nap when an energetic voice roused her from her sleep. Chika bounded onto the bus like an overactive puppy, running over to Yo and crashing into the seat next to her. “What’s cookin’ good lookin’?”

Riko trailed behind her, looking much less energetic than her girlfriend. Her eyes were slightly red, and she was rubbing at them and trying hard to stifle a yawn. “Chika, if you say that again we’re breaking up.”

“Aww.” Chika pouted, crossing her arms sulkily. “Fine.”

A few seconds later, though, it was like she’d forgotten about the scolding already. “Oh! Yo, have you heard? Apparently, we’re getting a new school director!”

You tilted her head. “…We had an old school director?”

“Well, obviously. All schools have a director,” Riko pointed out.

“Oh…” Yo nodded absentmindedly. “Right.”

Chika frowned. “Hey, are you okay? You seem down.”

Yo suppressed a flinch, looking away from Chika somewhat guiltily. “I… don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine! Just… tired.”

Riko eyed her nervously, while Chika just frowned deeper. “How come? I thought you were being careful, what with the friendly swim meet this Saturday.”

Yo sighed. That’s right. There’s going to be a swim meet in four days. She’d almost forgotten. “Oh, yeah. That.”

“Are you really okay?” Chika reached over, trying to feel Yo’s forehead. “Are you sick? You look kinda out of it.”

Yo shrank away from Chika’s touch, suddenly feeling a twisting in her gut. “I said I’m _fine_ , Chika,” She snarled, a lot more aggressively than she’d intended.

Immediately she regretted her decision when Chika flinched back, a look of hurt crossing her normally sunny expression. “Crap- Chika, sorry. I’m just… a little busy right now. That’s all.”

Riko put a hand on Chika’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure Yo’s got things under control.”

Begrudgingly Chika nodded, apologizing quietly to Yo for prying. Yo shot Riko a quick look of gratitude, which she just responded with a small encouraging smile.

“Anyway!” And again Chika seemed to recover within moments of being down. “The new director!…”

While Chika blabbered away excitedly at the possibilities (“A secret government agent, looking for talented students to recruit into their top-secret spy project!” “An evil stuffed toy intent on pitting students against each other in a surreal killing game!” “A wizard!”) Yo tuned the conversation out again, unable to maintain her focus.

Everything was a mess. Yo and Yoshiko had bonded over Immortal Legends. But even if they did spend more time together now, after Yoshiko had quit the game, she just felt more distant than ever. Despite Chika and Riko becoming closer by the day, despite Yo giving them her full blessings, Yo still couldn’t let go of the part of her that wished it was her in Riko’s place.

Yo didn’t know what to do. She had no idea what she even _could_ do. Life used to be simple, easy to understand. Now Yo just felt…

Lost.

“Hey.”

Yo looked up. Chika was looking at her with a pensive expression. It wasn’t her usual energy, but it wasn’t accusing or upset either; just, thoughtful. Gentle. “If there’s something bugging you, you can always talk to me about it. You know that, right?”

Yo closed her eyes for a moment, breathing out slowly.

“Yeah,” She nodded. “I know.”

“Okay.”

Chika nodded as well, turning back to face the front of the bus.

Yo felt a little after that. Maybe. She put her hand on her chest, thumbing the Anchor pendant beneath her uniform for comfort.

* * * * *

As it turned out, the new director of the school was not a secret government agent, nor an evil stuffed toy, not even a wizard.

She was a _foreigner_.

“ _Hi everybody~!_ ” Ohara Mari said, from the stage in the auditorium. “My name is Ohara Mari, and I’m going to take over the directorial duties of this school starting today!”

It was announced during homeroom that there was going to be an assembly during the last periods of school, where the new director would be introduced and their ambitions for the school explained. Yo didn’t pay much attention to the details, but she probably should have.

Mari was the girl that Kanan was talking to the other day. Also, the girl who beat Yoshiko. And apparently, now she was _also_ the director of the school.

Yo’s head was spinning.

“Now, some of you might be wondering why a student is the director, to which I raise you - screw the rules, I have money!” Mari laughed, and it was so absurd that a few students even started laughing along before Kurosawa Dia, who had been standing behind Mari, fixed the assembled students with her steely glare.

“Your goals, Ms. Ohara.” Dia coughed into a fist.

“Oh! Yes, that,” Mari nodded, shuffling through what looked like a stack of cue cards before losing track of the card she needed and just tossing the stack aside eventually. Clearing her throat, she paused for dramatic effect before launching into her speech.

“As some of you might be aware, our school is suffering from a crippling lack of new students. As part of my installment as director of the school, I am to bring this academy out of obscurity and into the limelight as one of the forward-thinking and modern educational institutions in the region!”

Yo snorted. Ura Girls was many things, but ‘forward-thinking’ and ‘modern’ were definitely not words Yo would have used to describe the school.

“Which is why I’m going to start by adding a multimedia room into the school, equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, and an array of custom-build computers optimized for the most high-end tasks. I have also drafted up a ‘digital education’ syllabus which we will be implementing on a rotational trial basis, allowing students access to this multimedia room during class time.”

There was a murmur of approval that went through the assembled students. One of the biggest issues with the school was how backward it seemed, especially compared to some of the fancier schools in big cities like Tokyo, or heck, even Numazu.

“Of course, this means there’ll be free wifi for everyone in the school.”

A cheer erupted through the hall, though it was once again quickly silenced by Dia’s unrelenting glare.

“And the other thing this school needs is publicity. Whatever we implement into the school, this is still a small institution in an insignificant region of Japan. We won’t get many more students coming in if we don’t get the Ura Girls name out. In fact… there is a possibility that the school will be shut down if we don’t improve our school’s prospects.”

A ripple of concerned whispers went through the student body, but Mari just smiled confidently and cleared her throat again.

“This is where _I_ come in. Not many of you may know, I transferred here from America. In America, I was involved in a video game - an MMORPG - called Immortal Legends. I was ranked first amongst some 6 million players in the US _alone_. There are four servers active for Immortal Legends: the US, China, Europe, and Japan. In returning to Japan, I also transferred my Immortal Legends character to the Japanese server.”

Oh.

_Oh._

Yo could practically see all the pieces fitting into place. All the disparate events she’s witnessed over the past month were starting to come together.

She looked around wildly, trying to spot Yoshiko in the crowd.

“Upon arriving in the Japanese server, which has a healthy 1.5 million odd player base, I challenged the #1 player in Japan to a duel. I won that duel. It has been less than a week since then, and I have already received more than thirty interview invitations, and have been featured in a dozen large-scale publications. An estimated 30% of the Japanese population now know my name. Imagine the possibilities if we put that publicity towards this school!”

Yo couldn’t find Yoshiko - the first and second-year classes were too far apart. Yo bit her lip nervously and turned her attention back to Mari, who was still continuing with her presentation.

“But that’s not all. Why stop at myself? There is an event in the game coming up, a national tournament that will also attract the attention of gamers _across the globe_. In it, teams of nine players will be pitted against each other in glorious combat. Imagine the news, when a team comprised _entirely of our school’s students_ beats out the nation’s best professional players in their own game! Not only will it bring raw publicity, it will also showcase our school’s willingness to embrace the future, demonstrating our openminded school spirit!”

Yo glanced at Dia. The girl looked faint, staring at Mari in abject horror. There was muttering in the crowd, equal parts excited and doubtful. But ignoring all that, Mari pushed on.

“Everyone, we stand at the threshold of greatness. The potential is there, I _know_ it. Everyone in this school can shine and excel in their own way, but _only_ if they’re given the chance to. This tournament is that chance. So I ask you, students of Uranohoshi Girl’s Academy: are you with me? To protect _our_ school? Or are you willing to see the school fade forever into history?”

So that was Mari’s game this whole time.

It was a plan that Yo couldn’t even begin to imagine on her own. As she stared at the girl on stage, her image started to overlap with the confident, extravagant avatar she’d witnessed in Immortal Legends.

It was wildly ambitious, a borderline insane gamble. But… it _might_ just work.

Mari stepped back, allowing Dia to take the mic. She stepped forward shakily, looking at Mari with wide eyes, before clearing her throat.

“Er… that was our new director… Ohara Mari.”

At first, it was just a lonesome clap, awkward and tentative. But then more students picked up the call, and soon there was a storm of furious applause as the girls cheered and clapped for their new, innovative school director.

“ _Shiny~_ ☆” Mari waved at the cheering students as she exited the stage, disappearing backstage. Dia glanced at her, then at the clapping students, and eventually sighed and allowed them to work off their excitement as she followed Mari backstage.

Yo, however, was too busy pushing through the crowd in search of Yoshiko to notice. She managed to cross over to the first year section, locating Hanamaru and Ruby, who mostly just looked confused.

“Ruby! Hanamaru!” Yo said breathlessly, managing to find a spot next to them. They turned and nodded politely at Yo, though their expressions quickly shifted to concern at Yo’s anxiousness. “Have either of you seen Yoshiko around?”

Ruby moved to shake her head, but Hanamaru seemed to think for a moment. “I think I saw her leave a little bit before the end, zura.”

“Okay, thanks!” Yo said, and pushed back into the crowd towards the auditorium exit.

After a great deal of jostling and trying to avoid the flow of girls now starting to migrate towards the exit as well, Yo managed to get ahead of the crowd and ran out of the auditorium, running out into the school courtyard. She looked around, out of breath, only relaxing when she spotted a familiar cascade of dark blue hair from behind a bench.

Yo jogged up to Yoshiko, who was sitting quietly on the bench, her expression focused and contemplative. After a few moments, Yoshiko looked up at Yo and smiled faintly. “Hey. Why the hurry?”

“I—” Yo hesitated. “I wanted to talk to you. About… that. Just now.”

Yoshiko’s composed expression flickered, and Yo could definitely spot a flash of a grimace before she managed to recover.

“What about it? I think it’s a wonderful plan. I couldn’t have thought of it,” Yoshiko said, diplomatically. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from the woman who defeated me.”

Yo shook her head. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “That’s not… what I want to talk about, Yoshiko.”

“Then what do you want to talk about?” Yoshiko looked at Yo. There was a level of wariness, a guardedness to her, that made Yo feel ill. Like she’d been kicked in the guts.

Yo breathed in to steel her nerves. “Are… are you going to compete?”

Yoshiko stiffened, a myriad of emotions flashing across her face - surprise, hope, apprehension, sadness, then… then just tired resignation. “No. I said I was going to take a break, and I mean it. I’ve already been beaten, anyway. What’s the point?”

“But—” Yo tried to argue, but Yoshiko just stood up, her hands balled up into fists. “I said _no_ , damn it!”

Yo stopped, staring at Yoshiko. Yoshiko stared back, breathing heavily.

“I’m…” Yoshiko’s gaze slowly dropped down to the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“N-No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed the topic,” Yo shook her head. She reached out for Yoshiko’s hand, tentatively, but Yoshiko just shied away from the gesture.

Trying to ignore the stabbing pain in her chest, Yo closed her eyes and turned away from Yoshiko. “So, um… are you going to come to the swim-meet this Saturday?” Yo said, clumsily trying to change the subject.

“Uh.” Yoshiko had to take a moment to adjust to the new topic. “Yes. Er, if you want, I can come.”

“Please do.”

“I will, then…”

Yo nodded awkwardly. Yoshiko nodded as well, just as awkward.

“I…”

Yoshiko picked up her back, which was on the bench next to her. “I need to go.”

Yo didn’t try to stop Yoshiko as she walked away, her head down, her posture stiff.

Yo felt like she was about to cry.

Everything was a mess, and Yo had no idea what to do to fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst!  
> And Plot!
> 
> I'm excited! Sorry for missing the weekly schedule thing, college just came and pounded me into the ground ;-; 
> 
> Hopefully next week: a Jimoai inspired oneshot, or if not, an update on one of my ongoing stories!


	5. Try Again

Okay. Objectively, objectively speaking, Yo’s situation wasn’t all that bad. Sure, things were kind of awkward with Yoshiko, because she was clearly distressed about something and wasn’t willing to share it, but things had always been awkward with Yoshiko.

At least now they talked. Even hung out after school, though most of the time Yo felt like Yoshiko wasn’t all there. She always seemed distracted to Yo, cautious even, but at least she was there. She even promised to go to the swim meet. It was a step up from before, when Yo and Yoshiko were just strangers.

So why did Yo feel so terrible? When Yoshiko had lost her temper after Yo tried to talk to her about Mari’s announcement, Yo felt like she’d been slugged in the gut. Yo just wanted to figure out why Yoshiko was acting so oddly, why she suddenly quit Immortal Legends, and maybe help her get past it.

_That’s rich. Helping someone get past their problems._

Yo couldn’t even figure herself out. She still couldn’t get over Chika, and for the life of her Yo just couldn’t understand why.

_Why is love so complicated?_

All Yo wanted now was to move on so she could give Yoshiko the attention she deserved. Yet every time Yo saw Chika laugh, her heart would still flutter weakly, and when she saw Riko and Chika together, she felt like she was getting stabbed.

Yo heaved a heavy sigh, and shook her head to clear it. Stop that, she had a job to do. She was supposed to deliver some documents from the swim team to the student council - something about permission forms or whatever. Yo wasn’t really paying attention when Coach Masuda passed her the stack of forms.

Stepping up to the door, she was about to knock when she noticed that the door was slightly ajar; was someone already inside? She paused for a moment, listening carefully.

“—Still can’t believe you pulled a stunt like that…”

“ _Stunt_? No no no, that was a _pitch_ , Dia. It’s business!”

The stilted Japanese immediately gave away the speaker - Mari was inside speaking to Dia.

As Yo contemplated whether she should come back another time, Dia spoke up again.

“Do you really think that’ll work? That you can somehow save the school by playing Immortal Legends?”

“Of course! Don’t you trust me, Dia?”

There was a long pause that followed.

“Mari, you came back without saying anything, to me _or_ Kanan, declared yourself director out of the blue, and proposed this crazy plan. Forgive me if I find it hard to trust you right now.”

“…Oh. Yeah, that’s um, that’s reasonable, I guess.”

“Sorry. I want to believe you, really, but… do you really think our school’ll have a shot at winning in the tournament? I doubt most of the students even know what Immortal Legends is, let alone play it. Do you have a team yet?”

“Well, there’s me, and you.”

Yo tried to peek into the room through the window set into the door. Dia was at her desk, while Mari sat on the desk, with a serious expression. Yo wasn’t sure what she found more surprising - that the straight-and-narrow Dia was actually considering Mari’s plan, or that apparently Dia played Immortal Legends.

Dia narrowed her eyes. “Not Kanan?”

Mari looked away shiftily. “I haven’t gotten to her yet.”

“You two have barely spoken since you got back,” Dia noted, a hint of concern entering her voice.

“We don’t need her,” Mari said quickly. “As long as we can get a team together before Christmas, we can power boost their level high enough to be competitive. We have a fighting chance. I’ve seen the competition, the builds on the Japanese server aren’t hard to counter.”

Dia raised her eyebrow at Mari avoiding the subject, but reluctantly decided to go with it. “Fine. If you’re so confident, I won’t get in your way.”

“…I sense a but in there, Dia. You know I don’t like buts,” Mari paused, then wiggled her eyebrows at Dia. “Unless it’s yours.”

Dia blushed, but continued her statement with a straight face. “But, I won’t be part of your team, either. Not unless Kanan is on board.”

Mari sighed. “Really, you’re going to be like that, Dia?”

“You need Kanan’s experience, Mari.”

“We don’t.”

“You know we do.”

“We _really_ don’t.”

“Mari…” Dia looked like she was going to say more, but she seemed to notice Yo out of the corner of her eye, and gestured for a ceasefire. “Come in,” she called, and Yo awkwardly shuffled into the council room.

“Hey, uh, Prez,”

Yo held out the stack of forms in her hand. “Coach Masuda told me to give you these.”

“Put them in the tray over there, Miss Watanabe,” Dia instructed, gesturing at a tray to one side of the room.

As Yo did that, she glanced at Mari, who seemed to be watching her intently. “Um… Director Ohara?”

“Just call me Mari.”

“Er… Mari, you were looking for volunteers for the tournament?”

Mari’s eyes practically started to glow as she grinned. “You play?”

“Uh, yeah… level 65 flame demon…” Yo said.

“ _Great!_ Level 65, that’s quite high!” Mari clapped, before turning to Dia and smiling smugly. “See, Dia? It’s all working out!”

“Hmph.” Dia just rolled her eyes.

“I still have to finalize some of the details, but your assistance is more than welcome,” Mari said, ignoring Dia and beaming at Yo. “Can you leave an email or number or something so I can get in touch with you?”

“Sure,” Yo nodded, scribbling down her phone number of a piece of paper that Mari passed over to her. As she wrote, she added, “Uh, I have a… friend, who’s really good at the game… but she recently quit. Should I try and recruit her as well?”

“Of course, of course! The more the merrier,” Mari said enthusiastically. “It’s our school on the line, after all. We can only bring the best of the best.”

Yo smiled wryly. “I mean, I don’t know if I count as the best of the best… But I can try.” She thought for a moment before asking tentatively, “Erm… is it really that bad? The school, I mean. I haven’t heard anything from the teachers or anything like that.”

Mari’s smile fell a little, and she sighed lightly, scratching her cheek uncomfortably. “Well… it’s not set in stone yet, so we can still turn it around… but we’re just not getting enough students. Most of the kids from around here opt to go to schools in Numazu, after all.”

Yo breathed out slowly. Right, of course. Uranohoshi Girl’s Academy was an old school, in an old neighbourhood. Of course it would inevitably run into problems with enrolment.

“However, it’s not too late to overturn it, so rather than worrying about the negatives, we should focus on what we can do now,” Dia cut in. She glanced at Yo. “Mari’s plan is… ambitious, for sure, but we shouldn’t just depend on that alone. Our school has other things to be proud of… for example, our swim team is one of the best in the region, and I’m told you are our team’s ace.”

“Aw shucks… that’s pretty high praise, prez…”

“It wasn’t praise,” Dia said sharply, causing Yo to look up. “I’ve heard from Coach Masuda that a few swim team members, including you, have been underperforming. With the friendly swim meet coming up, I’d just like to remind you to put forward your best in the days ahead of us. ”

Mari sighed. “Always so strict, Dia! You’ll scare her away!”

Dia breathed out, before putting her hands on her hips and giving Mari a stern look. “We all have to try our best if our school is to survive the hardships ahead. Miss Watanabe is a prominent figure in the school community, and many of our juniors look up to her. She needs to set a good example for them.”

“No, I understand,” Yo said, straightening her back a little. “I’ll do better from now on.”

“Good,” Dia nodded curtly. “Is that all, Miss Watanabe?”

“Yeah,” Yo bobbed her head. “I just wanted to hand in the forms… I’ll be going now.”

“Good day, Miss Watanabe.”

“Bye bye~”

Bowing politely, Yo backed out of the room, slowly going down the corridor back to the classroom.

*****

Before Yo knew it, it was the weekends, and it was time for the swim meet. The SakuraSketch girl showed up a few more times in Immortal Legends, and Yo partnered with her a few times, though she had to focus on raising her own level as well. After all, she wanted to be of use to the school in the tournament, and 65 wasn’t even close to the high level competition bracket.

“Everybody,” Coach Masuda clapped her hands together, getting the attention of all of the girls on poolside. Waiting for everyone to gather around, Masuda waited for a few seconds before starting to speak. “As you may have heard from Miss Ohara, there is a possibility that our school is going to be closed down if admissions don’t improve. That’s why I want you all to give it your best shot, and make everyone out there understand what’s so great about our school. Okay?”

“Okay!” The team chorused. Yo said it alongside the group, but her heart wasn’t in it; rather she was scanning the scans, looking for the familiar silhouette of Yoshiko in the crowd.

She promised she’d come, but she wasn’t with Chika and the others when they met before the meet.

“Yo?” Masuda called her name.

Yo bit her lip, tearing her gaze from the crowd to look at her coach. “Yes, Coach?”

“Come here for a second, I want to speak to you.”

Yo bobbed her head and stepped up to where Masuda stood. Masuda cleared her throat. “Now, I don’t want to put extra pressure on you, on top of everything else. But you may have heard that the high-diver on the other team is quite well known in Numazu. If you manage to top her score…”

Yo nodded firmly. “I’ll try my best, Coach.”

“Good. Don’t push yourself too far, I don’t want you to get hurt, but… this is a good chance to show our stuff, and you’re our best diver by far. I know you have it in you.”

“Thank you, Coach,” Yo said.

Masuda nodded and went to check on the relay squad. Breathing out, Yo shook her head lightly to clear her thoughts, and went to find Kanan, who had just rejoined the team a couple days ago. It was going to be her first race in a while.

“Kanan,” Yo waved at the older girl. Kanan looked around, then turned and smiled at Yo. “How’s it going?”

“Fine,” Kanan shrugged, folding her arms behind her head nonchalantly. Yo always wondered if Kanan was contractually obligated to assume that pose whenever she was able, because Kanan did that a lot. She also looked great doing it. It accentuated the lines of her body, and the muscles on her arms.

Kanan glanced across the pool to the other school. “They don’t look too tough.”

“Mm.” Yo hummed. It was familiar ground for the both of them. Not to brag, but she could bet that her and Kanan were easily the best swimmers in the current lineup on both sides.

Relaxing a little, she allowed her gaze to wander back to the stands. “Looking for someone?” Kanan asked, surprising Yo. Kanan laughed at Yo’s expression. “You’re pretty obvious, you know.”

“Really?” Yo chuckled sheepishly.

“I mean, it’s not a problem. Just don’t get distracted, I guess,” Kanan said. She seemed to scan the stands as well. “Oh, there’s Ruby. And—” She bit her lip suddenly. Yo followed her line of sight and found Ruby and Hanamaru, sitting next to Dia and Mari.

“You know Mari?” Yo asked, curious after the time they spoke on the roof

Kanan continued to chew on her bottom lip, looking away sharply. “We have… history,” She said vaguely. “It’s not important.”

“Okay…” Yo said slowly, before bobbing her head and stepping back. It’s none of Yo’s business, really. “Well, I’m going to go to standby. Good luck.”

“You too,” Kanan nodded.

Yo left Kanan alone, heading over to the high-diving area to wait out the competition. Soon enough the races were underway, the crowd cheering and clapping as the girls from both sides plowed through the water. The other team had a strong lead at the start, but the Uranohoshi swim team quickly made up the difference in the latter half, when it came to the relays. Kanan was particularly useful, pulling a surprise win from under the feet of the opposing team.

Scanning the crowd, Yo spotted Chika and Riko near where Hanamaru and Ruby were. Chika had that stupid foam finger and was probably screaming Kanan’s name as she waved it around. Still no Yoshiko, though.

Then it was her turn, with all the races over, the divers lined up at the base of the diving platform waiting to be called on. From the sidelines, where she was sitting with a towel draped around her, Kanan gave Yo a thumbs up.

The other divers weren’t half bad; there was one who got all eights from the judges, one who got all nines. No flops. Yo could feel the pressure mounting. Ura Girls had a significant lead, but there were still three divers left, and she was the only one for Ura Girls left.

“Next diver, Miss Watanabe Yo from Uranohoshi Girl’s Academy!”

Yo swallowed, and began the ascent up to the top. Clambering onto the platform, she took a deep breath, finding her balance and stepping onto the board.

She took another deep breath, another step forward. She couldn’t back off now, otherwise it’d be a disqualification. She stepped forward, bouncing with the board, letting her body go slack for a moment before pitching forward, tensing up——

She spotted a familiar swatch of deep blue in the crowd, and her body froze up.

She hit the water and was entirely unprepared for it, completely forgetting to transition into a diving form. The splash was large. Too large. She caught the start of a shocked gasp from the crowd before disappearing beneath the water surface, bubbles surrounding her, water muting the noise of the crowd.

Her body stung from the impact, but that didn’t even compare to how she felt at that moment. Crushed by her failure, she allowed herself to sink until she hit the bottom of the pool.

She’d have stayed there, too, if her lungs didn’t give out first. Most of the wind had been knocked out of her when she hit the water, so she could realistically only stay for a handful of seconds before starting to struggle. Breaking the surface, she gasped, taking in gulps of cool autumn air.

A smattering of applause reached her ear. She looked up, and saw her friends clapping enthusiastically. The rest of the crowd were much less eager, clearly unimpressed by her clumsy dive. But that’s not what she was looking for. She scanned the crowd for that familiar deep blue hair and magenta eyes, that too-pale complexion and slim build.

There she was, in the crowd. Yoshiko’s expression was horrified, and for just a moment, Yo thought that their eyes might have met, because she was looking straight at her. There was a flash of recognition in Yoshiko’s demeanour, and she turned around, vanishing into one of the exits of the audience stands. Yo watched her leave, a sinking feeling brewing in her heart.

She left. Why did she leave?

“Watanabe.”

Yo looked up. Her coach was on the poolside, holding out a hand. Despite her abysmal performance, there wasn’t any reproach or accusation in her eyes - Yo must’ve just looked that lost and helpless. “Come on, you’re holding up the line,” She said quietly.

Mutely, Yo nodded and took her hand, allowing Masuda to pull her out of the pool and help her up the steps. Someone draped a towel around her shoulders - was it Kanan? Yo was still looking at the stands, trying to find any trace of Yoshiko, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“Yo?”

It took a solid few second before Yo realized Kanan was calling her name. She turned to look at Kanan, her eyes not quite able to focus on her features initially. Kanan had her brow furrowed in concern, and she reached up, cupping Yo’s chin to hold her head still as she stared into Yo’s eyes.

“Yo, are you okay?”

“I, uh…” Yo blinked. Was she okay? She had hit the water hard, without much preparation - it would be a miracle if she wasn’t hurt at all. “…I think?”

Kanan’s brows pinched further, but she reluctantly let Yo’s head go, stepping back. “Well, you seem fine… might be a bit bruised, but I don’t think you’re hurt. Your eyes are reacting normally, for the most part.”

“Since when were you medical staff?” Yo tried to lighten the mood, but Kanan just looked at her, unamused.

“I took first aid. I have to for the shop. You should know this.”

“I know, I know. It’s just…” Yo sighed.

Kanan tilted her head curiously, and sat down on a bench, patting the space beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“She was in the stands,” Yo said. She made her way over to the bench as well, sitting down next to Kanan. “I saw her.”

“Saw who?” Kanan asked.

Yo glanced at Kanan for a moment. She could trust Kanan, surely. She breathed out, and slowly began to explain. “There’s this girl. We kind of have a thing going, but it’s weird because I’m still trying to get over Chika, and I think I didn’t pay enough attention to her and now she’s mad at me or something. We kind of had an argument during the week, but I asked her to come anyway. When I saw her in the stands I just sort of froze up.”

“Ah,” Kanan nodded sagely. “I see.”

Somehow the way she said it made Yo believe she actually did, in fact, see.

“Any names? Or is that too personal?” Kanan pried.

“Um…” Yo licked her lips to wet them. “Tsushima Yoshiko. She’s a first year.”

“Taking advantage of a starry-eyed junior?” Kanan teased.

Yo shook her head furiously. “It’s not like that!”

Kanan laughed, and reached up, ruffling Yo’s hair. “I know it’s not. You’re not someone who would break a girl’s heart like that.”

Yo winced, feeling the now-familiar bubbling of guilt in the pit of her stomach. “I… wouldn’t know about that.”

Kanan’s smile faded, and she pursed her lip. “That bad, huh? You really think you hurt her?”

Yo glanced over at Kanan for a moment. Kanan had this concerned expression on her face, but there was something deeper than that buried in that look. Kanan seemed to be searching for something, her purple eyes fixed intently on Yo.

“I… don’t know. I’m not sure about anything anymore,” Yo admitted, sighing.

Kanan’s prying gaze continued for a few more seconds, before she shook her head slightly and gave Yo a warm smile. “Well, if it’s you, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re a good kid.”

Yo grunted and looked away. “Don’t treat me like a child. We’re only a year apart.”

Kanan smirked. “Only if you stop acting like a kid and get going already.”

“Going where?” Yo looked at Kanan. “The meet isn’t over yet.”

“I’ll cover for you, so go find her! If you saw her in the stands just now, she should still be on the pool grounds somewhere,” Kanan flashed Yo with a grin. “Go after her!”

Yo breathed in sharply. She seemed to inflate slightly, straightening her back and getting a bit of life back into her posture. “Right. Thanks, Kanan. I’ll try not to be too long.”

She stood up, running off to the changing rooms. She was in such a hurry that she didn’t even notice Kanan grimace as she left.

“Go after her,” Kanan sighed. “That’s rich coming from you, Matsuura.”

* * * * *

After hastily towelling herself off and throwing on a hoodie, Yo rushed out of the changing rooms into the plaza just outside the pool stands. A cheer came from the crowd as the announcer talked about something or another, but Yo didn’t pay much attention to that as she looked around, scanning the area for Yoshiko’s familiar silhouette. There were a few people milling about, mostly people leaving the swim meet early or random pedestrians, at first it seemed like there was no trace of Yoshiko.

“Yoshiko?” She called out, tentatively. There was no response, so she ran a little further out onto the streets. “Yoshiko!”

A hoodie wearing figure, hood drawn up, stopped for a moment at Yo’s call. She turned around for a moment, and even down the street Yo could see the flash of her magenta eyes.

“Yoshiko, wait! I want to talk to you!” Yo shouted, starting after her.

Yoshiko seemed to flinch, and she paused for just a moment before turning and running, fleeing down the street away from Yo. Yo went to give chase, but her phone went off suddenly. She took her phone out, and glanced at the notification: it was a message from Yoshiko.

Her heart pounding, she checked the contents of the message, and she felt her blood freeze over.

> <Yoshiko>
> 
> I don’t think we should talk anymore.

Yo stopped in her tracks, staring blankly at the message for a moment. She felt faint, like the world spun around her at dizzying speeds. Yo looked up; Yoshiko had already disappeared past a street corner.

With shaking hands, Yo typed out a reply.

> <Yo>
> 
> Wait, why?
> 
> Yoshiko, talk to me
> 
> Say something
> 
> Anything
> 
> ...please...

There was no response.

Breathing out shakily, Yo blinked back tears as she tried to figure out what to do next.

In the background, the crowd in the pool stands started to cheer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hang tight, kids. Shit's about to go down.
> 
>  
> 
> On another note, I've realized that I mixed the calendar a bit. I'm going back to edit, but in general the timeline is as such:
> 
> Part 1 covers most of the first semester (April-July)  
> Summer Vacation  
> Part 2 currently goes through the second semester (September-December)
> 
> Sorry if this caused any confusion!


	6. Swing and a Hit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

> ** <Kanan>**
> 
> Hey
> 
> You okay?

Yo glanced at Kanan’s message. She lay in bed, body completely limp and curled up.

> **< Yo>**
> 
> Yeah, I’m fine

Her fingers drifted over her phone screen as she typed out the message.

> **< Kanan>**
> 
> Are you sure?
> 
> You going to school today?

> **< Yo>**
> 
> Yeah I’m going
> 
> Yes I’m sure

> **< Kanan>**
> 
> Okay
> 
> If you need to talk…

> **< Yo>**
> 
> I know
> 
> Thanks for the offer but really I’m fine

> **< Kanan>**
> 
> Just wanted to make sure you knew
> 
> OK, see you in school then

Yo sighed, and rolled over on her bed. She appreciated Kanan’s offer, really, but Yo was trying hard not to dwell on the matter at all.

Yoshiko’s message, Immortal Legends, Chika… none of that mattered. Right? Yo didn’t need any of that. She had been doing just fine before all that. Full speed ahead. Don’t look back. The past is in the past. Yo repeated mantra after mantra as she got dressed and prepared for school. She wasn’t going to wallow. Not again. She had to learn to let go eventually, might as well learn it now.

That was the conclusion Yo had come to over the weekend after the disastrous swim meet.

Yo was getting in over her head trying to stick her nose into Yoshiko’s business. Sometimes passion wasn’t enough, Yo just wasn’t delicate or sensitive enough to navigate Yoshiko’s mire of issues and insecurities.

Maybe Yoshiko was right in the beginning, and Yo just shouldn’t have spoken to Yoshiko.

Yo shook her head; she was thinking about it again. Clear her mind of all that. She just had to make it through the day. Shuffling past the kitchen, she snagged a slice of toast with a mumbled thanks, and went out to wait for the bus.

Just don’t think about it…

It was easier said than done.

* * * * *

Morning passed in a blur. Yo met Chika and Riko on the bus, walked together to school, and went through the morning classes like clockwork. She talked, she chatted normally, she reacted to Chika’s antics like she always would. Frankly, Yo was impressed how easily normalcy came to her once she was actually interacting with people. She was also grateful to Kanan for keeping her situation quiet; Chika and Riko didn’t seem to suspect a thing.

Morning break rolled around. Riko had went to grab something she left behind in the art room, and You found herself being carefully questioned by Chika about her performance at the swim meet.

“That dive was… er…” Chika tried to find a polite word for it.

“Abysmal?” Yo suggested, smirking self-deprecatingly.

“Well, that’s a little harsh, I mean, it was…” Chika sighed. “Yeah. Abysmal,” She admits lamely.

“I got distracted,” Yo explained. She tried to mimic the dive with her hand. “I was supposed to do a turn there, but I blanked out and forgot to adjust my form. By the time I realized I didn’t even have time to recover.”

Her hand hit the tabletop, and she mimed her hand splattering over the surface. Chika stared at the demonstration, and tilted her head at Yo. “How come? What happened there? You’re usually on point with focusing on diving.”

Yo suppressed a flinch, and tried to shrug nonchalantly. “Well, it happens to everyone, right? I can’t be in top form 100% of the time.”

“I… guess,” Chika hums, eying Yo closely. “If you say so…”

Chika knew Yo well, but Yo was good at pretending. She was very good at that.

After another moment of scrutiny, Chika shrugged and switched topics. “So, you signed up for the tournament thing, right? I talked to Mari the other day!”

Yo’s smile went rigid. “Ah… yes, that.”

Yo wondered if she could still drop out. Immortal Legends reminded her too much of Yoshiko. Chika was still speaking.

“—I didn’t know you were so high level already! I really gotta keep playing… oh, did I mention that Riko started to play as well?”

“That’s… great,” Yo said. She kind of meant it, but her heart wasn’t really in it. “You two having fun?”

“Well, we…” Chika began, when Riko came running in. “Oh! Riko, we were just talking about you…”

She stopped abruptly when she saw how serious Riko looked. Riko was slightly out of breath, and she stopped in front of Yo. “Yo, you need to get down to the courtyard.”

Yo had a bad feeling about this. “What? Why?”

“It’s Yoshiko, she—” Riko took a deep breath. “Just… you need to go. _Now_.”

Yo was already gone by the time she finished her sentence.

* * * * *

Yo’s heart pounded as she ran down the stairs. Yoshiko? What happened? Riko’s expression was serious, and that worried Yo.

Coming out of the stairwell, Yo ran out onto the school grounds, stopping only when she saw the crowd gathered around the edge of the school courtyard. There was a lot of commotion, hushed whispers and murmured remarks abound in the crowd. Yo heard something about something being broken. Something being thrown out a window.

Yo narrowed her eyes and began pushing her way though the crowd. “Excuse me, coming through, I need to—”

As she managed to shove through, Yo’s breathing stopped, and her eyes went wide at the scene before her.

Yoshiko was kneeling on the ground. Her eyes were red, and her shoulders were shaking like she was desperately holding in tears. She was hunched over, and in front of her, was the broken remains of her laptop, the cracked screen completely dislocated from the keyboard, the chassis split open and circuits spilling out. Yo looked up, and saw a window open in the first year class room.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened.

“Yoshiko…” Yo said. Yoshiko glanced up, and a look of panic crossed her face as she saw Yo. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clean herself up.

“Yo! I— I…” She began to say, when Yo knelt down in front of her and cut her off.

“Who did this?” Yo’s voice was quiet. Dangerously so, low like the rumble of a tiger’s throaty growl. When Yoshiko didn’t respond, Yo rose to her feet and glared at the closest girl in the crowd. “Do you know the person who did this?”

The girl shook her head frantically. “By the time anyone realized what happened the laptop was already broken—” She tried to explain, but Yo’s attention had already moved on.

“Yoshiko,” Yo said quietly, kneeling back down beside her. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Her tone switched from dangerous to gentle in a heartbeat, and Yoshiko sniffed but shook her head. “J-Just my computer…” She said shakily.

“I’ll find the person who did this,” Yo promised. “I’ll find whoever’s responsible.”

Yoshiko shook her head unsteadily. “It’s fine, I…” She started, before her jaw clamped shut when she looked up.

“Well, well, well. Look what happened here.”

Yo felt her blood pressure rise dangerously. She narrowed her eyes and glared up at Aoki and her posse, pushing past the crowd to leer at Yo and Yoshiko. “Aoki,” Yo said. It was just a word, but the threat was palpable, and the crowd visibly retreated, sensing an incoming storm.

“Looks like somebody dropped something,” Aoki sneered, tittering along with her gang. “Someone’s a klutz, isn’t she?”

Her posse laughed shrilly, and Yo clenched her fist in a futile attempt to suppress her anger. “Did you do this?”

“What, something this crude?” Aoki turned up her nose. “I wouldn’t even want to touch her… possessions,” She said the word like the way someone would say something distasteful, like garbage, or moist. “Besides, there are plenty of people who would gladly dump something belonging to this little freakshow, it’s not like she has any real friends anyway—”

Aoki’s sentence was cut off abruptly by Yo’s knuckles embedding into her jaw. Her expression shifted from smug to shock to genuine fear within the span of a second, and she spun from the force of the blow, falling backwards into her gang, except none of them wanted to be included in the fight so they all stepped aside, leading to Aoki landing in a crumpled heap on the ground.

Yo breathed out slowly, fist still outstretched.

“You shut the _fuck_ up about Yoshiko. You don’t know a damn thing about her.” Yo hissed, advancing on her.

The crowd scattered from the direction Yo was moving, and Yo would have kept going if Yoshiko didn’t reach out and grab her from behind, wrapping her arms around Yo’s waist and restraining her from moving onto Aoki. “Stop it! She’s not worth it!”

Still reeling from the shock of being punched, Aoki staggered to her feet, cradling the side of her face where she’d been hit. “And why… do you care so much about her, huh? Is it pity? Is that it?” She spat, stumbling backwards away from Yo. “You’re the star athlete and she’s the charity case, right? It makes for a real pretty story, doesn’t it? The Ace of the school, sparing a little time for the little ol’ freak.”

Yo’s gaze hardened, and despite Yoshiko trying to stop her Yo broke free of her hold and continued to march forward until she was almost face to face with Aoki.

She had to draw a line in the sand, here and now. If she backed off at all, it would just make Aoki correct in the eyes of everyone watching.

“I care,” Yo took a deep breath. “Because she’s my _girlfriend_ , you frigid bitch. Unlike you, some people can actually form _meaningful_ relationships.”

She shoved Aoki back, and turned around to hold out a hand to Yoshiko. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Yoshiko stared at Yo’s hand, then up at Yo. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked away from Yo, shyly taking Yo’s hand. “Okay,” she murmured.

Yo helped Yoshiko up to her feet, and very deliberately put an arm around Yoshiko, pulling her close.

“Fag,” Aoki muttered under her breath.

Yo’s jaw clenched, and she was about to whirl around to give Aoki a black eye when the crowd suddenly scattered, pushing and shoving to get away in a desperate stampede.

Within moments the courtyard was cleared, except for Yo, Yoshiko, Aoki, and an _absolutely livid_ Kurosawa Dia.

Dia looked over the three of them, and her lips curled into a grim smile. “I’m getting the strangest sense of deja vu from this,” she said, her voice sickly sweet.

* * * * *

Almost immediately after the end of school bell rang, Kanan burst into the student council room and slammed her hand down on Dia’s table.

“I heard about what happened,” Kanan growled. “What is the meaning of suspending Yo?”

Dia breathed out slowly, and stared evenly at Kanan. “It was the appropriate punishment, Kanan. You know that.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Dia,” Kanan snapped. “Yo was protecting the Tsushima girl. She did nothing wrong.”

“Watanabe hit someone, Kanan!” Dia said sharply, her volume rising slightly. “This was a very serious incident. We can’t afford to play favourites in a situation like this.”

“That Aoki deserved it for what she did. I’ve been hearing nothing but bad rep about her,” Kanan said. “She broke Tsushima’s laptop!”

Dia shook her head. “That’s where you’re wrong, Kanan. Aoki was not the culprit of that incident.”

“Wait,” Kanan frowned. “What?”

Dia sighed. “Aoki had a very solid alibi. She was speaking to a teacher when the laptop was thrown out of the window. We already know who did it. ”

“…Who was it?”

“Ayane Nanami. A first year. She’s a member of the swim team, one of Watanabe’s… admirers,” Dia said.

“Once we found out she told us everything. Apparently, there’s a belief going around in the team that Watanabe’s sub-par performance recently is because she’s been spending time with Tsushima. This incident is allegedly payback for Tsushima ’ruining’ Watanabe’s performance last Saturday.”

“That’s…” Kanan narrowed her eyes. “Well, Aoki still called Yo a… a _fag_.”

Dia’s jaw tightened slightly at the word. “Aoki has been disciplined appropriately - and _harshly_ \- for inciting conflict and using discriminatory slurs. But Kanan, Watanabe punched someone. Justified or not, this is an educational institute, and we cannot condone violence in any shape or form. A suspension is the bottom line for punishment we can hand out.”

“But—” Kanan tried to argue, before Dia cut her off. “This decision was made in conjunction with the staff body and Mari- I mean, the director of the school. It’s as fair as it’s going to get.”

Her tone softened, and she sighed. “Look, I know you’re close with Watanabe. And believe me, I do sympathize with her situation. Aoki put her in a very difficult spot. But that’s no excuse for violence.”

Kanan bit her lip, staring down at the floor. Eventually, after a lengthy internal struggle, she grumbled something incoherent and looked away from Dia. “Fine,” she huffed. “I’ll let it go for now. Where is Yo now?”

“We permitted her and Tsushima to leave early,” Dia said. “We couldn’t expect them to continue their afternoon classes like that. We also contacted their parents to ensure that they know what’s going on.”

Kanan breathed out, relaxing a little. “Okay. Fair enough.” She cleared her throat, and glanced at Dia. “Sorry for… making a scene.”

“It’s perfectly understandable. You’re childhood friends with Watanabe. I’d likely have done the same for you and Mari,” Dia said.

Kanan smiled slightly, but the mention of Mari made her frown again. Noticing this, Dia sighed and folded her arms. “You’re not… you’re still not talking to her, aren’t you?”

Kanan grunted noncommittally.

“When are you going to let it go, Kanan? It’s _Mari_. You know you can’t stay mad at her forever,” Dia said. “I mean, you also…”

Kanan gave Dia a look that made her falter mid sentence. “I’m not… mad, Dia. I’m just…” Kanan thought for a moment. “Disappointed.”

Dia breathed out slowly through her nose. “Weren’t you the one trying to get me to talk again? How come you’re closing yourself off now?”

“That’s different. You’re you, and Mari is…” Kanan bit her lip. “ _…Mari_. You should know better than anyone else what I’m feeling right now.”

Dia nodded slowly. “…Well, I’m not going to say I’m not upset that Mari came back despite everything we gave up, but… she’s back, isn’t she? Can’t you just be happy about that?”

“I didn’t break up with her just so she can skip back over here whenever it’s convenient for her, Dia,” Kanan said quietly. “If she’s back… that makes everything we did, everything we gave up meaningless.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, and stood up, facing the door. “I… I need to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Dia pursed her lips, and nodded. “Goodbye, Kanan,” She said, as Kanan left the room, sliding the door shut behind her.

* * * * *

The bus back to Numazu was silent. Yo’s eyes were glued to the window. Yoshiko, meanwhile, was staring down at her lap, avoiding any chance of eye contact with Yo. There was an overbearing nervous tension between them, making it almost impossible to break the silence. Neither of them had spoken since leaving school, making every bump and shudder of the bus infinitely more awkward.

Why did she have to say that. Why did she have to say they were dating?

Yo wanted to hit herself. She had said that amidst the mad rush of adrenaline from the fight with Aoki, but now that she’s had the chance to calm down after being chewed out by Dia, she felt like she was going to be sick.

Yoshiko had said that they shouldn’t talk anymore in the message. Did Yoshiko hate her now? But then, she looked so happy when Yo intervened in the courtyard.

Yo didn’t know what to think.

The bus turned onto the road into Numazu proper. Yo felt her heart sink; soon the two of them would have to get off, and Yo would lose her chance to talk properly to Yoshiko.

So, speak. Just say something. _Anything_. Yo opened her mouth, but nothing would come. The image of the message reappeared in her mind, more vivid than ever.

Yoshiko didn’t want to talk.

The thought terrified Yo.

She closed her mouth, and lowered her head.

“Thanks.”

Yoshiko spoke up suddenly, and Yo blinked, looking at her in surprise.

“For punching Aoki, I mean. She had it coming.”

Yo cracked a smile at Yoshiko’s remark. “Yeah she did,” she said. “Did you see her face?”

Yoshiko smiled as well, and Yo felt a glimmer of hope flicker in her heart. “I don’t think she expected you to do that,” Yoshiko said.

“Well, I couldn’t let her just… say those things about you,” Yo said. “She had it coming for a while.”

Yoshiko’s smile faltered a little. “You… got suspended, though.” She looked down guiltily.

“It was worth it,” Yo said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“…I hope so,” Yoshiko sighed. She shifted slightly, moving just a hair closer to Yo. “…I don’t want you to get hurt for my sake again…”

Yo glanced at Yoshiko. The irony of her saying that, when she’s been taking on trouble for Yo all this time. She was told all about it by Dia - the rumours going around, and how Yoshiko was threatened by Ayane to stay away from Yo.

“Well, I could say the same. Why didn’t you tell me about Ayane? I could have talked to her.”

“What if Ayane took it the wrong way and felt offended? I don’t… want you to be alienated from the team. I know how much swimming means to you,” Yoshiko muttered. “And… well, she was right, wasn’t she? I saw your dive.”

Yo cringed at the memory of the dive. She wasn’t there for the score, but she had learned after the fact that she’d gotten an average score of 4. One of the lowest scores she’s had, ever. She won’t pretend that Yoshiko wasn’t connected to that, but at the same time, she couldn’t blame Yoshiko for it. It was her own fault for not being good enough.

“I can swim without the swim team, Yoshiko. It’s not worth staying on the team if it means…” Yo hesitated for a moment. It was now or never. “If it means not talking to you again. I’d rather never swim again than have that happen.”

Yoshiko’s eyes widened slightly, and she turned to look at Yo as she continued to speak. “I… I need to apologize to you, Yoshiko.”

“…What for?” Yoshiko asked cautiously.

“I… do you remember our promise? After the date?”

Yoshiko nodded. “Of course.”

“I’ve kept you waiting,” Yo said, lowering her head in shame. “For months, now. I said I’d give you an answer, but even now I’m not sure what to do.”

She took a deep breath, feeling a familiar wave of self-disgust wash over her. “If I wasn’t such a mess up I could have given you the attention you deserve. But instead I was a complete ass to you, stringing you along for months knowing damn well how you feel about me.”

“It’s not your fault, Yo. I was being difficult…” Yoshiko tried to say, when Yo shook her head. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

“It’s… at the end of the day, it’s my fault. I was trying so hard to keep things the same and running away from my problems. I hoped my feelings for Chika would just go away, I hoped you would keeping liking me despite how noncommittal I was being, I just… hoped things would get better.”

“But when you sent me that message on Saturday…” Yo breathed out. “I was scared. I was so scared that it really was over.”

“The message was,” Yoshiko bit her lip. “I didn’t actually want to stop talking.”

“I know,” Yo said. “Ayane, right? She convinced you.”

“I didn’t want to drag you down,” Yoshiko said quietly. “The team needs you, especially with the school closing down. I didn’t want to believe her at first. But she kept showing me more evidence. Your times getting worse ever since we started talking.”

“I know,” Yo repeated, tentatively placing a hand on Yoshiko’s. “But that’s my problem. I’ve… gotten complacent. It’s not something that you should have to suffer for.”

The bus rolled up to a familiar street, signalling that it was almost Yo’s stop. She glanced out of the window, and gripped Yoshiko’s hand a little tighter. “Can you… can you come over today? I think we need a little more time to talk properly.”

Yoshiko let out a shaky breath. “I’ll need to call home, but…”

She gave Yo a weak smile. “Sure.”

* * * * *

Yo’s mom wasn’t home - just as well, Yo didn’t really feel like explaining herself to her mother. Even if she had the best intentions, Yo’s mother could be a little overbearing at times.

Putting down their bags and leaving Yoshiko in her room to get tea, Yo breathed out, leaning against the kitchen table as she waited for the water to boil. She managed to take the first step forward, inviting Yoshiko over again. What now?

First of all, clear up the mess with Ayane and the swim team, probably. Then…

The water started to boil, interrupting Yo’s train of thought. She quickly went through the process of making tea, and took the pot back up, knocking on the door before entering. Yoshiko was sitting on her bed, looking contemplative for a moment. When Yo came back in, she looked up and gave her a tentative smile.

“I brought tea,” Yo said awkwardly, setting two cups down on her desk and pouring out the tea. It was just something she found in the cupboard - though her mom had pretty good taste, so she was fairly certain it wouldn’t be awful. She sat down in her desk chair, and looked towards Yoshiko.

Yoshiko nodded, picking up one of the cups and taking a sip. “Sweet,” she commented. “And fragrant. It’s… Darjeeling?”

Yo shook her head. “Not much for tea myself. I’m surprised you can tell,” She said quietly, before clearing her throat and speaking a little louder.

“I, uhm…” She faltered, her words failing her. After taking a deep breath, she shook her head again and reorganized her thoughts. “A lot has happened,” She said finally.

“No, really?” Yoshiko cut in dryly. She paused, and lowered her head a little. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Sorry.”

Yo shook her head, knowing how Yoshiko’s personality was. “It’s fine. So first… I wanted to ask a question.”

Yoshiko tilted her head, curious.

“How do you feel about me saying… what I said? Back in the courtyard.” Yo said awkwardly. “I thought it might get people off your back.”

Yoshiko glanced at Yo, and shook her head. “You know how I feel about you, Yo. I don’t mind.” She breathed out, keeping her voice level even as she started to blush. “I’m more worried about what that’ll do to you. How people will think after this. Are you really okay with people thinking that we’re dating?”

“…Same answer as you, I guess,” Yo said, her cheeks colouring despite her being the one to go down this train of thought first.

“Are… are you sure?” Yoshiko asked uncertainly. She sounded hopeful, but at the same time, seemed cautious and even afraid. “People will associate you with me. Aoki won’t be the only one. You’ll become a target, like me…”

“You know that I don’t care about my reputation, or whatever. My friends know who I am, and they’ll come to appreciate who you are, I’m sure. I don’t really care what others think.”

“But still,” Yoshiko insisted. “It’s… better if you didn’t say that. I’m… not worth that much trouble.”

“Of _course_ you’re worth it,” Yo said, only for Yoshiko to look away guiltily.

“Yoshiko…” Yo breathed out. “You keep doing this. You did this when we first talked, too. Hurting yourself to protect me isn’t going to make me happy, or Hell, achieve anything in the long term.”

“I…” Yoshiko started to say, before falling silent and biting her lip at the look Yo gave her.

“Why… are you like this?” Yo asked quietly. “You’re always so cautious. So eager to martyr yourself. It’s not healthy.”

Yoshiko flinched at the last part, looking away. “I… know.”

Yo breathed out, and moved over to the bed, sitting down next to Yoshiko. Almost automatically, their hands found each other, and Yoshiko gripped Yo’s hand. “Then why? Did something happen before?”

“It’s… a long story,” Yoshiko said. “And it’s not pretty. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“If it’ll help me understand you better,” Yo nodded. “I want to know. If you don’t mind telling me.”

“I don’t mind. It’s just… It doesn’t put me in the best light,” Yoshiko grimaced. “You might not see me the same way.”

“Do you trust me, Yoshiko?” Yo asked, staring firmly at Yoshiko. “I want to help you. Please. Whatever you tell me, it won’t change how I feel about you.”

Yoshiko’s cheeks flushed, and she finally nodded. “…Alright, then,” She took a deep breath, and began to recount her story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are you ready for tragic backstory?
> 
> also Aoki getting punched felt hella good


	7. Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was plain, and uninspiring, and came from an uninteresting family. She didn’t have a father, and her mother was always busy with work, leaving the girl to her own devices. Despite her tremendous bad luck, there was nothing that others would find interesting in her. No talents, no intrigue, no engagement. She was left alone.

Isolated, and continually plagued by misfortune, she wondered what made her different from the other girls in school. Why were they happy, and why was she not? Why did their parents pick them up, and why did hers not?

She read a lot. Stories, myths, legends. She eventually came to a startling conclusion: she must not be like most people. Surely, she was treated differently because she herself was different.

In her childish desperation to find meaning out of the emptiness in her life, she filled that emptiness with delusions of grandeur. She believed she was an angel, struck from Heaven and descended to Hell. Her misfortune? A curse from God. Her loneliness? Penance for her existence.

Life moved on swiftly with this new discovery. For a time, it filled her heart. Her own imagination was enough to keep her moving, facing forward.

Then the little girl grew up. And her delusions weren’t as well received as they were in her early childhood. It was harmless at first. Teasing, joking, light ribbing. Her delusions made her the center of attention. It was almost fulfilling.

Then teasing turned to pranks, escalating in severity. The jokes were no longer harmless, made at the girl’s expense. Things went missing, diligently done work stolen and copied, or defaced. She was cornered during breaks and lunch, pushed around like a rag doll.

For a time, the girl bore it with patience. Her mother was still busy, all the time. She didn’t want to distract her from her work. She didn’t want to cause problems. If staying silent could keep things quiet, then she would be silent.

She thought, perhaps, it would end eventually. But it kept going. And it kept getting worse. Things of real value were taken from her. Jewellery, money. Public humiliation. The girl’s thoughts got darker, and darker, her delusions driving her into a corner. More than once, she contemplated ending it all, embracing sweet release.

But before she was driven to that, a light shone upon her.

She remembered the moment vividly still. It was in the wake of another merciless round of humiliation. The girl was curled up in a corner, out of sight, hoping she would just disappear.

That’s when she appeared.

“Are you okay?” An angel. A real one, not make-believe like the girl. She reached out with a hand of salvation, and for a moment the girl was so shaken she didn’t even know to take it.

“I’m new around here. Can you show me around?”

Like a drowning soul to driftwood, the girl grasped onto the hand, allowing herself to be saved.

Things got better. No longer alone, the girl was at last happy. The angel did not mind her delusions, delighted in them, even. She humoured the girl’s imagination, gladly going along with her daydreams. It was like a dream come true for the girl. She sought validation from her new friend, proof that her life was worth value. She confided in her as well, her fears, her weaknesses, the darkness in her heart. The angel took them in stride, soothing the wounds in the girl’s soul, showering her in love and affection.

They grew close.

Even the bullying stopped. It was like a miracle. Everything was good.

But it was not to last. Her misfortune reared its ugly head. Signs of unrest began to surface.

“Mana.”

The girl sat with the angel, staring out to sea. Their hands were intertwined, a physical manifestation of their connected hearts.

The angel tilted her head, looking at the girl with a gentle smile. “What is it, Yohane?”

“I saw the she-devils talking to you the other day,” the girl said carefully. She looked at the angel. “Were they bothering you?”

The angel shook her head. “I’m fine, Yohane. They just wanted something from me.”

The girl stared into the angel’s eyes, and she trusted her. She nodded, letting the topic go.

But she spotted more things as time went on. The angel was as radiant as ever, but she seemed less lively. Tired. Sometimes when she smiled at the girl, it wouldn’t quite reach her eyes.

Then one day, she was gone. The girl had only known after the fact that she was hospitalized for severe depression and anxiety. The angel had shouldered the girl’s burden, taking the torture that was intended for the girl onto herself. And even one as radiant as the angel could only take so much. She broke, refusing to see anyone, not even the girl.

The others blamed the girl.

The girl blamed herself as well.

She was cursed. To hurt herself. To hurt anyone around her. She shut herself away, putting on a stoic front. Emotionless, and unassailable. As for the delusions that caused this, she locked them away, knowing that it was exactly those that made her and the angel a target. Even if she was nothing without the delusions, even if she was just an empty shell, at least no one would get hurt.

And never again would the girl allow someone to be hurt because of her.

* * * * *

Yoshiko laughed as she finished her story, her voice hollow and bitter.

“So I distanced myself from the world. I’m not going to let it happen again, not to anyone,” She took a deep breath. “Especially not to you.”

“Yoshiko…” Yo’s voice cracked. “I never knew…”

“I’m not… proud of what I did.” Yoshiko looked away. “I relied on her. Too much. I could have— _Should have_ — seen what was happening. But I let my happiness blind me. Because I was too selfish and cowardly to fight my own fights.”

She bit her lip, feeling a wet heat in her eyes. No - don’t cry, not now, goddamn it.

But no matter how hard she fought it, the dark memories dredged up long forgotten emotions, ones she’s tried to lock away for her whole life. Tears rolled unbidden down her cheeks, and she broke down, the mental walls she built up crumbling as she felt, as vividly as ever, the crushing guilt and regret that had haunted her for her entire life.

She turned to the only person she could - Yo, sitting next to her - and clung onto her for dear life, using Yo as an anchor to avoid being washed away by her emotions altogether.

Momentarily caught off guard, Yo quickly regained her composure and put her arms comfortingly around Yoshiko, gently patting her on the back. “It’s okay,” Yo said soothingly. “Let it all out.”

As Yoshiko continued to wail and sob into her shoulder, Yo said quietly, “I’m not going to pretend to understand how you feel. You’ve been through so much more than I have… You’re so much stronger than I am.”

Yoshiko shook her head, somewhat petulantly, like a frustrated child. “I- I’m not… I’m a _coward…_ ”

“A coward wouldn’t throw herself under the bus, again and again, just to protect her friends,” Yo said patiently, but firmly. “You’re brave, Yoshiko.”

She looked away briefly, adding under her breath, “Braver than I ever will be.”

Yoshiko didn’t seem to catch that, just continuing to cry, exhausting her bottled up negative emotions in the process. Yo simply allowed her to do so, rocking her gently from side to side and tenderly stroking her along her back. Minutes of this passed, as Yoshiko let out years’ worth of distress and insecurities.

“But you know…” Yo murmured quietly. “You don’t have to bear it alone anymore. You have friends. People who care for you.”

She licked her lips, trying to think of a way to vocalize what she was feeling. “This Mana... she took it all onto herself. Your pain and hers. We don’t have to do that. I’m not going to take responsibility for all of your problems, and I’m not going to ask you to bear all of mine, either. But there are things that we can share. Weights that we can carry _together_. Aoki, for example. Pressure from our peers. That’s not something that we should shoulder individually. That would break anyone.”

She paused for a moment, seeing if her words were having any effect. Yoshiko seemed to have calmed down a little, though she was still sniffling and hiccupping. “And it’s not just me. There’s Ruby, and Hanamaru. Hell, even Chika and Riko. We’re all in this together. There’s no need for you to be alone, when you’re surrounded by people willing to support you.”

Yoshiko took a shuddering breath, and pulled back a little so Yo could see her weak smile. “Thank you,” she said hoarsely, wiping the trickle of tears off her cheeks.

“It’s the least I can do,” Yo said. “Given how I’ve… not been the best to you recently.”

Yoshiko shook her head, but Yo put a hand up to silence her objections for the moment. “Just… as I’ve said. I’ve kept you hanging ever since we had the talk. I haven’t really done anything to move forward either, so…”

She took a deep breath, and with newfound determination she stared into Yoshiko’s eyes. “I’m going to confess to Chika. She’s going to turn me down properly. Completely break my heart. Then I can move on and give you the attention you deserve. I can finally be the girlfriend that you’ve waited so long for.”

Yoshiko’s eyes teared up again, but this time not from her repressed memories, but from long overdue joy. Smiling tearily, she cleared her throat and leaned in close, her breath tickling Yo’s face. It was obvious what she was aiming for, but she still paused with an inch between them, and asked breathily, “Can I?”

Rather than answering, Yo leaned forward and closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together. It was clumsy and impromptu, and Yo felt like it would have been much better under more romantic circumstances, but it was still a magical experience. The last time they kissed was when Chika broke Yo’s heart by going out with Riko. Yoshiko had kissed her to prove a point.

This time, they wanted it. Both of them. It was like a spark passed between them, drawing them close, a magnetic force binding them together and urging them to push for more and more. Needy hands wandered each other’s bodies, pulling them close, tangling in hair and sneaking under clothes. They were breathless, but energized; emotionally exhausted yet jubilant.

Yoshiko was smiling from ear to ear, and Yo had a lopsided grin on her face. Both were breathing heavily, and being so close together they could feel the rise and fall of each other’s chests, and their beating hearts beneath. “That escalated quickly,” Yoshiko murmured breathlessly.

“It could escalate more,” Yo blurted out, not even sure if she was ready for what that implied but still desperately wanting more.

Yoshiko’s cheeks, already flushed, grew a darker shade of red. But instead of going further, she pushed gently against Yo and cleared her that. “That’s very tempting,” Yoshiko said, shyly tracing a pattern onto the bed sheets. “But you’ve given me a lot to think about.”

She licked her lips nervously. “I’m… not sure if I’m ready for it.”

Yo breathed in, clearing her head of the manic desire that had temporarily overtaken her in the moment of exhilaration. “Right. No, you’re right, of course. I just— I got caught up in the moment.”

Yoshiko nodded, understanding what Yo meant completely. She’d been waiting for this moment for so long. Ever since that first kiss. Yoshiko felt like she was getting drunk off of the affection Yo was showering her with.

But now that they were this close, old fears flared up again. It would be so easy for either of them to get hurt. One misstep and everything could have been for nothing.

For however much Yoshiko craved intimacy, she was just as afraid of actually getting it.

“I need to get used to… thinking about myself,” Yoshiko said quietly. “And what you said as well. It’ll take a long time for me to get back to being normal.”

“You don’t have to be ‘normal’, Yoshiko. You’re you,” Yo said.

Yoshiko shook her head. “You’ve been helping me see my flaws since the first time we’ve met. I didn’t learn my lesson the first time around. I… _want_ to be normal. I want to be better.”

“Until I am, I don’t know if I will ever be ready.” Yoshiko looked down. “I’m sorry if you wanted more.”

Yo shook her head. “It’s only fair that it’s my turn to wait. Besides, I have my own problems to sort out. I… don’t know if I’m ready either.”

Sitting a little straighter, she took both of Yoshiko’s hands into her own. “But we can work through them together. Your change. My problems.”

“Together,” Yoshiko breathed, looking down and smiling. “This sounds ridiculous and cheesy and dumb, you know that?”

“Yes, but,” Yo leaned forward, pecking Yoshiko on the lips. “I’m cheesy, and ridiculous, and dumb. You’ll have to get used to it.”

Yoshiko rolled her eyes, giggling with uncharacteristic glee. “Thanks, Yo. Today just went from the worst to the best.”

“You’d think seeing Aoki get punched would make it best by default,” Yo smirked.

Yoshiko considered that for a moment. “Even bester,” She decided, flashing Yo a wonderfully wide smile. But then she thought a little more, and her expression grew a little more serious.

“But just to be completely realistic, I’m a lot to handle.” Yoshiko began, “I’m not very good at talking. I can be temperamental.”

“That’s okay,” Yo said softly. “No one’s perfect.”

“Are you really okay with someone like me?” Yoshiko asked, her voice small.

“That’s a silly question,” Yo said. “I’m okay _because_ you’re the way you are.”

* * * * *

In the end, Yoshiko had ended up staying the night. Her mom was fine with it, and Yo’s mother seemed all for it as well. At first Yo’s mom was concerned about Yo’s suspension, but after a quick defense from Yoshiko, she even offered to talk to the school to lift the punishment.

They went to bed early that night, the events of the day taking their toll on their exhaustion. They slept together, cuddled up under the sheets. Yoshiko fell asleep quickly, all the crying having tired her out completely,  but Yo stayed awake for a while, content to just hold Yoshiko and enjoy her presence, though she eventually drifted off to sleep as well.

In the morning, Yoshiko woke up in a tangle of limbs next to Yo. For a moment she panicked, wondering why she was in bed with Yo, until she remembered what had transpired yesterday.

She lay there, for a moment overcome with conflicting emotions.

She couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. Despite all of her missteps, despite her messing up again and again and misinterpreting what to do, Yo was still willing to accept her. Even after hearing her story, knowing what she’s done to Mana, she didn’t turn her back on Yoshiko.

She pinched herself, to make sure she hadn’t just retreated so far into her mind that she was hallucinating.

No, this was real.

She had to resist the urge to squeal out loud. All this time, she had fully expected Yo to change her mind and decide she didn’t like Yoshiko all along. But she didn’t.

It sucked that her laptop was broken, sure, but that hardly put a dent in Yoshiko’s newfound happiness. Despite being terrified to death that she’d let Yo down again, messing up somehow and ruining their relationship, Yoshiko was feeling optimistic for the first time in weeks.

She carefully freed at least her upper body, turning to look out of the window. The sky was bright, the sun well up into its daily arc. Yo was suspended, and she herself was given time off due to the circumstances, so neither of them was required to go to class.

The clock read about 9AM. She didn’t want to wake Yo, but it was necessary to free her legs from beneath the girl. She pushed Yo gently, shaking her by the shoulders. Yo mumbled something incoherent, and opened her eyes blearily.

“I had the weirdest dream that we actually managed to kiss,” she said, still only half-awake.

“We _did_ manage to kiss,” Yoshiko informed her.

“Oh.” Yo said, taking a moment to absorb that information. “Cool.”

Her cheeks turned red, but she took the news in stride as she glanced at Yoshiko, “Does that mean we’re dating now? I don’t think we established that.”

“Well, everyone at school thinks we are now,” Yoshiko shrugged, feigning disinterest. “Might as well, right?”

“I feel like that’s a really arbitrary way of deciding if we’re dating or not,” Yo said, but nevertheless she smiled and snuggled closer to Yoshiko. “I mean, not that I mind.”

Yoshiko’s cheeks flushed, a warm fuzzy sensation spreading throughout her body just at Yo’s proximity.

It was strange.  

In spite of everything, all of her worries and her doubts about whether or not this was the right course of action, and wondering if Yo would get hurt because of her... now that Yoshiko was actually there, with Yo right beside her, those concerns seemed utterly insignificant.

She still felt them, just as acutely as ever, but being with Yo just seemed… right.

The last time she felt like this, she was with Mana.

Yoshiko shook her head as doubt crept back at the recollection of her. It was going to be different this time.

“Hey,” She spoke up abruptly, trying to distract herself. “Do you have plans for today?”

“Well, I want to talk to Riko later,” Yo said. “About… y’know. I don’t want her to think I’m actually trying to take Chika away.”

“It’s not like you _could_. From what little I’ve seen those two are stupid in love…” Yoshiko mused.

She wondered if things could have gone better between her and Yo if they had just been more honest with each other, like Chika and Riko seemed to be.

“It almost makes you jealous, doesn’t it?” Yo said, causing Yoshiko to look up in surprise. Was Yo thinking the same thing as her?

“They seem so… functional,” Yo tilted her head, smiling self-deprecatingly. “I wonder how they do it.”

“I’m sure we could be functional too, given time,” Yoshiko said quietly.

“You think so?” Yo looked down at her hands. “It took me this long to be able to come to terms with my own feelings.”

“One can hope, anyway,” Yoshiko mumbled, before she sat up, and got off the bed, stretching languidly. “Can we get breakfast now? I’m hungry.”

Yo smiled, and nodded. “Yeah, sure. Let’s look at what we’ve got downstairs.”

* * * * *

Riko sighed. Despite by and large being quite good at studying, she found herself unable to focus on the lesson, the teacher’s rambling about the Edo period going way over her head. She spun the pen in her hand, clicked it twice, spun it again.

“Riko,”

She sighed again, and looked out of the window. Yo didn’t come to school. She heard the news about her being suspended, but it was still a bit of a shock to come to school and find her desk empty.

“Riko—”

She picked up the pen, and doodled a treble clef onto the corner of her notebook. She felt bad for Yo. She was just standing up for the girl she liked, she shouldn’t be punished for that. Sure, she punched someone, but it was righteous self-defense, right?

“Riko!”

Chika jabbed Riko right between the shoulder blades, causing her to squeak out in surprise. “Whuh- What?” She looked around. The whole class was looking at her. Riko whimpered, her cheeks turning bright red.

“Ms. Sakurauchi… please pay attention in class,” her teacher said, mildly annoyed. “Now, can anyone tell me when the Edo period was officially ended…”

Riko breathed out, slumping forward slightly and trying not to draw any more attention to herself.

“Hey, Riko,” Chika whispered, leaning forward. "What’s up? It’s not like you to get so easily distracted.”

“It’s nothing… just worried about Yo.”

Riko breathed out. “The rumour that she and Tsushima are dating has spread. Not all of it is good, too. I heard some girls saying that she’s picked Tsushima just to make herself look better.”

“We know that’s not true, though,” Chika said. “Isn’t that the important thing? Yo’s not the kind of person who would mind, either.”

“But still,” Riko murmured. “It feels like we should do something about it.”

Chika shrugged, and turned to focus back onto the lesson. “I’ve tried before. People will say what they want to say,” She said. “We should wait until she gets back before trying anything.”

Disappointed, but acknowledging Chika’s point, Riko sighed and focused back on the lesson as well.

Eventually the bell for the end of school rang, and Riko breathed a sigh of relief as she stretched her arms out after a long day of taking notes.

“Hey~” Chika sidled up behind her, draping her arms over Riko’s shoulders and pulling her in a loose hug. “You’re gonna go to the music room again?”

Riko nodded. “I want to submit a composition for an upcoming contest,” she said. “You don’t have to wait for me, I’ll probably be a while.”

Chika pouted, but nodded and gave Riko a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. “We playing tonight?”

“I’ll login if I can,” Riko promised, waving her off as Chika left the classroom.

She sighed, touching a hand to the spot where Chika kissed. A year ago, she couldn’t even imagine being this physically close to someone. Now she couldn’t imagine a life - at least in the near future - without Chika.

As she started to head over to the music room, her phone buzzed.

> **< Yo>**
> 
> Hey
> 
> Are you busy?

Riko tilted her head at the text.

> **< Riko>**
> 
> Not really
> 
> Did you need something?
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> Actually yeah
> 
> I kinda want to talk
> 
> In person
> 
> Its pretty important

Riko raised an eyebrow at the message. It didn’t seem like Yo to arbitrarily exaggerate something, so it probably was important.

> **< Riko>**
> 
> Can it wait?
> 
> I’m at school right now, but I can meet you somewhere
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> Uhh
> 
> Can I meet you at your place?
> 
> I might need to swing by Chika’s afterwards as well anyway
> 
> **< Riko>**
> 
> Sure.
> 
> I’ll go home and wait for you?
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> Yeah, okay.
> 
> Thanks.

Strange. Even through text, Yo seemed tense. Normally she’d be more casual. Breathing out somewhat uneasily, Riko put away her sheet music - she could compose another day - and prepared to head home.

* * * * *

Yo fiddled with the hem of her shirt nervously as she and Yoshiko stood outside Riko’s house.

“What if she hates me?” Yo said suddenly.

Yoshiko shook her head, holding Yo’s hand. “You’ll be fine,” she said consolingly. “Riko won’t hate you.”

“What if she hates me and she tells Chika and Chika never talks to me again?”

“Yo.” Yoshiko stared flatly at her. Yo stared back, and sighed after a few moments.

“…Right, you’re right. I’m just being dumb,” Yo said meekly.

“I thought I’m supposed to be the pessimist,” Yoshiko said jokingly. She sighed, and squeezed Yo’s hand. “Look. If you’re not ready for this, you don’t have to do this.”

“No, I do.” Yo said, her voice firm despite her nervousness. “I… I need this. For closure, if nothing else.”

“Just say what you need to say,” Yoshiko said. “You said we’ll start sharing burdens. I’ll be there to support you.”

“Yoshiko…” Yo smiled, and took a deep breath. “Okay. Here goes.”

She stepped forward, and pressed the doorbell. A few nerve-wracking moments later, the door opened, with Riko standing behind it in the doorway.

“Hey, Yo,” Riko said, smiling at Yo, then noticing Yoshiko and nodding at her as well. Her gaze did wander over their held hands, but she didn’t comment on it. “Yoshiko.”

“Can we come in?” Yo asked nervously.

“Oh, of course! Would you like to go to my room? It’s a little cramped and messy, but at least Mom won’t walk in on us,” Riko said, leading them inside and upstairs.

In spite of her claims, Riko’s room was neither cramped or messy. Books were neatly shelved away. The bed was tidily done, and the piano was pristine, a protective cover draped delicately over it. Riko gestured towards the bed and seats. “You can sit wherever. Do you want anything to drink? Tea?”

“It’s… fine,” Yo said, sitting down on the edge of Riko’s bed. Yoshiko sat down next to her. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Well, alright,” Riko murmured, sitting down on the piano bench and looking towards Yo. “So, what’s this about having to talk? Is everything alright?”

“Everything is… fine. Nothing is wrong, if that’s what you’re worried about, it’s just…” Yo took a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about… Chika. I want your permission to do something.”

“Chika?” Riko frowned, confused. “Permission to do what?”

“I— well,” Yo cleared her throat. “I’ve… well. For the longest time, I’ve had a…  a crush on Chika. Even up until recently, I’ve had lingering feelings for her. Even when you two are together, and happy.”

Riko nodded slowly. She glanced at Yoshiko, then back at Yo, gesturing for her to continue.

“I don’t— I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take Chika away from you. Because I’m not. I just,” Yo took a deep breath. “I want to give Yoshiko the attention she deserves. And I don’t feel like I can do that if I’m still thinking about Chika, even if just a little bit.”

“I want to confess to Chika. And I want her to reject me. I think that will give me the closure I need to move on,” Yo said. “I wanted you to know that I’m planning to do this.”

Riko’s expression was unreadable for a moment. She breathed out slowly, nodding slightly. “Okay. I… appreciate you telling me this. I might have misunderstood something if you didn’t.”

She glanced out the window for a moment, over the balcony and at Chika’s room. She then turned back to look at Yo, and smiled at her. “I’m not going to get mad, if that’s what you’re worried about. Really, I’m grateful you trust me with this. And… I trust you too. If you think this is something you need to do, then you should do it.”

She chuckled, playing with a strand of her hair bashfully as she continued, “Actually, Chika and I were kind of worried. You seemed a little out of it lately. I’m glad you’re trying to get to a better place. And,” She grinned at both Yo and Yoshiko. “Congratulations on finally getting together. Took you long enough.”

Yo blushed, as did Yoshiko. “Riko!” Yo whined. “You’re supposed to be the nice one. Is Chika infecting you?”

“Well, it’s your fault for taking so long to do it.” Riko shrugged. She stood up, and gave her a small smile. “So, are you going to do it today?”

“As soon as possible,” Yo said, trying hard not to grimace. “It’s going to hurt, but… I’ll be better for it.”

“Then you can do it right here,” Riko said. Walking over to the balcony, she leaned slightly over the edge and shouted, “Chika! Are you there?”

There was the thumping of feet, and Chika threw the window open, leaning out as well. “Riko! I thought you were staying at school?”

“Change in plans,” Riko said. “Hey - guess who’s here with me?”

Chika frowned, tilting her head. “You have a guest?”

“Yup!” Riko turned around, beckoning for Yo to come forward. “Actually, she has something to say to you.”

Yo swallowed, the fluttering in her stomach getting worse by the moment. As though sensing her nervousness, Yoshiko gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You can do it,” she said quietly.

“…Thanks,” Yo said.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward onto the balcony.

Riko smiled and retreated, gesturing for Yoshiko as well. “Let’s give them some space,” She whispered.

Yoshiko nodded, and the two of them stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Now alone in the room, Yo took another steadying breath and gave Chika a shaky smile.

“Hey, Chika,” She said. She put a hand on her heart, trying to still her heartbeat. “Can we talk?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfghsfdhjk
> 
> they gay


	8. Closure (and new beginnings)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

Yo fidgeted nervously. “Can we talk?” she asked, trying to sound as natural as she could. Across the balcony, Chika tilted her head curiously, but she nodded and leaned forward.

“Sure,” Chika said, resting her elbows on the edge of her window. She glanced at Yo. It was clear that she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding how nervous she was feeling as Chika looked a little hesitant before asking, “Is something wrong?”

“N-No, nothing’s wrong,” Yo said hurriedly. She clenched her fist - as much as she appreciated Yoshiko and Riko giving her space, she kind of missed holding Yoshiko’s hand, especially in this situation. “I just wanted to talk, for a bit.”

Coward. Just say it already. Yo wanted to hit herself.

“Okay,” Chika smiled. It was a pretty smile, the one Yo fell in love with so long ago. “What about?”

“How’s…” Yo licked her lips. “How’s it going with Riko?”

“You came all this way just to ask me that?” Chika laughed. Yo wanted to shake her head. “Well, it’s going fine? I think? I mean, it’s going as well as I can hope it to,” she smiled. “Sometimes I worry that I’m not good enough for Riko. I’m just lil’ ol’ me, you know? And she’s this up-and-coming pianist from Tokyo.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Yo chided. “You’re great. Riko’s lucky to date you. She really likes you, too.”

“I guess so,” Chika chuckled awkwardly, rubbing her upper arm somewhat uncomfortably. “I mean, we did…”

She drifted off into silence.

“You did?” Yo asked, curious. “Did what?”

“We,” Chika blushed bright red. “Never mind! It’s not important.”

“You…” Yo tilted her head. Chika was being awfully evasive. Normally she’d just blurt out whatever came to her mind.

Was it something that embarrassing? Yo looked at Chika, examining her awkward expression, and her eyes widened.

Oh. _Oh_. When it came to couples, one thing came to mind.

“C-Congratulations?” Yo blurted out. “I, uh, didn’t realize you guys were so far into things…”

“L-Let’s not talk about it! And don’t tell anyone else,” Chika said, shrinking behind the window sill. “Though… I guess if someone has to know, I’d rather it be you…”

Jeez, her cheeks were hot, too. How could she bring up what she originally wanted to say now? After a moment of floundering around, both Yo and Chika calmed down somewhat, with Chika pulling herself back up and clearing her throat.

“…I know I can be a dreamer sometimes, but…” Chika traced the wood on her window sill shyly. “I think Riko’s the one. I really do. I’m… I’m really glad that you’re so supportive.”

How was Yo supposed to respond to that?

“Y’know…” Yo cleared her throat. Despite how she felt like the time wasn’t right, if she didn’t say it now she’d probably never get the chance to again. It was all or nothing. “I’m happy for you two. I really am.”

Chika smiled. “Thanks,” she said. “That means a lot to me.”

Yo held up a hand, and Chika fell silent. “I, er, need to admit something,” Yo began hesitantly. “When you first met Riko, I was… jealous.”

Chika raised an eyebrow.

“You see…”

Yo took a deep breath. She remembered Yoshiko’s encouragement. “I… liked you. For a long time. I still like you.”

Chika’s expression changed. Shock, surprise, then dismay. But also an understanding; like a lot of pieces in her mind just fell into place.

“…A long time?” Chika prodded.

“Years,” Yo admitted. “Small childhood crush to begin with, but… since maybe a year ago it got really bad.”

“I never noticed…”

“I wasn’t trying very hard,” Yo said. “I didn’t know if you felt the same way. And then you met Riko, and I tried even harder to hide that.”

“That,” Chika breathed in, “makes a lot of sense in context…”

Yo nodded. “I guess I was… testing the waters, for a while. It didn’t seem like you were interested. After you met Riko, I… realized I probably never stood a chance to begin with.”

She looked down, her hands gripping the balcony railing tightly. “Won’t you tell me how you feel? About me?”

“Yo, I—” Chika fidgeted. Yo was being really unfair, she knew. Putting Chika on the spot like that. Chika didn’t deserve it, but Yo needed this. She would apologize to Chika later. Taking a deep breath, Chika bowed her head. “Sorry. I didn’t… I haven’t thought of you that way.”

It was like she got punched in the gut, a blow that split open all the marks and scars that Yo had accumulated over the years. She was right, all along. Yo never was a candidate for Chika’s affections.

“You’re… a good friend. My best friend. I’d trust you with my life. But…” Chika looked away. “Maybe in another life, something might’ve happened. But I’m happy with Riko now. As things are, I don’t know if I could have returned your feelings.”

She gave Yo a shaky grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Your fan club would have eaten me alive, you know?”

You giggled despite the gaping wound that’s opened up in her heart.

“I thought you were the head of my fan club,” Yo said.

“In my heart, sure,” Chika laughed. “Not the official one.”

There was a lull in the conversation as they both looked down, pensively. Yo didn’t know what Chika was thinking about, but she was trying her hardest not to fall apart in front of Chika. She’s already put so much on Chika’s shoulders today, a guilt-trip was the last thing Chika needed.

“I’m dating Yoshiko now,” Yo mumbled, quiet but still audible to Chika.

“Finally,” Chika rolled her eyes.

“I… needed this to move on,” Yo said. She looked up, giving Chika a shaky smile. “Thanks, Chika. Thanks for turning me down.”

“Yo,” Chika spoke up suddenly. “You’re… amazing. You’re this incredible person. You can do anything, go anywhere, if you put your mind into it. Just because I never thought of you romantically, doesn’t mean you’re any less of an amazing human being. Please don’t… put yourself down because of that.”

Yo breathed out, suddenly feeling a heat around her eyes and an urge to sniff. She fought back the urge to cry, and smiled. “Thanks," Yo said again. “I… I need to go now.”

Chika’s gaze was apologetic as she waved Yo off, putting her hand down only after Yo had left Riko’s room and shut the door behind her.

* * * * *

Closing the door behind them, Yoshiko and Riko lingered awkwardly in the hallway for a moment before Riko suggested they head down to the living room to wait. Sitting down on a couch, Yoshiko kept her head down, not too sure how to interact with Riko.

“I’m— I’m going to go make some tea,” Riko announced abruptly, standing up and hurrying to the kitchen. Yoshiko watched her leave, before returning to her thoughts.

Yo was talking to Chika. Was it going well? Would it give Yo the closure she wanted? Yoshiko wanted to listen in, but at the same time, she was terrified by the thought of hearing Yo confess to another girl.

Yoshiko grimaced. Was that selfish? It wasn’t selfish, was it, to be afraid of acknowledging the fact that your girlfriend likes someone other than you? Despite having affirmed their feelings for each other not so long ago, Yoshiko was already terrified of losing Yo. She had problems, she was well aware. Issues with attachment and confidence and feelings of abandonment. For every second Yo was away, Yoshiko became more intimately aware of those feelings.

But at the same time…

“Are you nervous?”

Yoshiko looked up. Riko smiled at her, setting a cup of tea down in front of her. “About Yo, I mean,” Riko clarified.

Yoshiko hesitated for a moment, then after a second of deliberation, slowly shook her head. “I’m scared,” She said quietly. “But I always am. I’m no more scared now than any other time.”

“You’re not worried that Chika will take Yo away?” Riko asked, curiously.

“No,” Yoshiko said, almost immediately. “I mean… I’m always afraid that I’ll lose her. But not because of Chika. Only ever because of my flaws.”

She glanced at Riko. “I trust Yo that much, at least.”

Riko breathed out a sigh of relief, and smiled. “Me too,” She said. “I trust Chika.”

Sitting down next to Yoshiko, she sipped delicately from her own cup of tea. It was red tea, of a pretty run of the mill variety, but it was at least well-made in Yoshiko’s opinion. After a few moments, Riko spoke up again. “I’m… honestly relieved that you two finally got together.”

Yoshiko tensed up. “Are you going to make fun of us?”

Riko stared at Yoshiko for a moment. “What— God, no! I’m not Aoki,” She cracked a smile, and tentatively Yoshiko followed her example and smiled as well. “I’m being completely honest here. We— Chika and I— were worried that we were leaving Yo out. Yo hides it well, but after a while we could tell. Hanging out with us for too long makes her uncomfortable.”

“Because she likes Chika as well?” Yoshiko guessed.

“There’s that, but… I think,” Riko tapped her chin thoughtfully. “There’s probably something more to it. Yo is… bless her, she’s too kind for her own good. Sometimes I feel like she tries to stay distant from the two of us to give us space, but then she gets lonely because of that. I just think that it would be good for her to have someone give her the company that we can’t.”

“…I’ll try,” Yoshiko said. Riko’s words were assuring, and she found herself smiling. That’s right - just as much as she was flawed, she supposed Yo had flaws as well. That’s what Yo and she had talked about - they’d work through these flaws together.

“But you know, I don’t envy your position,” Riko said. “Dating the most popular girl in the school is kind of… a hazardous position.”

Yoshiko smirked lopsidedly. “Don’t I know it,” she muttered.

“What makes you so determined to date her, then?” Riko tilted her head. “What do you like about Yo?”

“Everything,” Yoshiko answered almost immediately, but when Riko giggled she blushed and elaborated, “W-Well, she’s nice. And pretty. She’s a little dense, but surprisingly sensitive if she wants to be. She’s sincere and wants the best for everyone. She’s supportive and caring and never really judges anyone. She has like,” Yoshiko licked her lips, “this- this aura about her. Like sunlight. She makes you feel better just by being nearby.”

Riko smiled. “Yo can keep things to herself at times. She needs someone she can trust. I’m glad she’s found you.”

“Thanks,” Yoshiko said shyly.

There was a moment of silence, and Riko cleared her throat. “Gosh! Look at me. I’m just a year your senior, but I’m acting all high and mighty,” She laughed awkwardly. “Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s,” Yoshiko hesitated. “It was a good talk.”

“Well, I’m glad,” Riko brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, apparently an embarrassed reaction from the girl. “Mostly I just wanted to wish you good luck on your relationship. It can be hard, but it’ll be worth it.”

“Thank you,” Yoshiko said. She opened her mouth, but the sound of a door opening upstairs made her look up. “Sounds like they’re done talking.”

Riko nodded, and followed close behind Yoshiko as they stepped out of the living room to check. They met Yo just as she was coming down the stairs, and she gave the two of them a smile. “Well,” Yo said bashfully. “That’s done with.”

“How did it go?” Yoshiko asked, tentatively.

“How else?” Yo looked away, embarrassed. “Got completely shot down, of course. Got rejected real hard.”

“Oh, Yo…” Yoshiko stepped forward, taking Yo’s hand. Yo smiled gratefully at the gesture, and squeezed Yoshiko’s hand.

Yo cleared her throat, and looked sternly at Riko. “Now, you treat Chika well, okay? She’s still my oldest friend, I’ll kick your ass if you break her heart.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Riko said, putting a hand up placatingly. “I’ll treat her right, ma’am. If I have your blessing.”

Yo snickered, though she did step forward. “Well, I don’t really want to impose on you anymore. You were going to play Immortal Legends together, right? I’m not going to get between you two.”

“Oh, well, you two are always welcome,” Riko said. “If you ever want to drop by.”

“I’m sure,” She grinned at Riko, pulling Yoshiko along towards the door. “Have fun, _SakuraSketch_.”

Riko’s expression froze as Yo mentioned her ingame name, but before she could respond, Yo had already waltzed out of the door, Yoshiko in tow.

As soon as they were past the door, Yo’s smile slipped from her face.

“Are you okay?” Yoshiko asked quietly, not even needing to look at Yo’s face to sense her emotions.

“I’ve been better,” Yo breathed out, squeezing Yoshiko’s hand. “I didn’t think it would hurt this much.”

Her hand was trembling slightly, Yoshiko noted. She supposed that lifelong crushes died hard. “If you need to cry,” Yoshiko murmured. “It’s okay.”

Yo sniffed, but she shook her head. “No, I’m okay. I just need a little bit to calm down. Chika was… very clear on how she felt about me.”

“Chika doesn’t know what she’s missing out on,” Yoshiko said decisively, leaning closer to Yo and landing a delicate kiss on her cheek. Yo’s face heated up, and she mumbled something unintelligible under her breath.

“Sorry, what was that?” Yoshiko tilted her head in confusion.

“I _said_ — God, I love you,” Yo said, slightly louder, though no less embarrassed. Yoshiko’s cheeks turned red as well. “I’m going to be fine… as long as you’re here with me.”

Yo cleared her throat, trying not to sniffle too much. “So!” She said loudly, “Do you have time this weekend?”

“I, erm,” Yoshiko nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“Do you want to go somewhere?” She turned to look at Yoshiko, awkwardly adding, “Like, a date?”

“I— Er,” Yoshiko floundered for just a moment before she suggested, meekly, “Well… I _do_ have to buy a new laptop?”

“Then, do you want to go together?” Yo offered, smiling hopefully.

“Yes!” Yoshiko squeaked. “I, er, yes! Let’s go together. Saturday?”

“Saturday works,” Yo nodded.

“Great!” Yoshiko shuffled her feet awkwardly, then glanced back at Yo. “Erm… we should probably head back, right?”

Yo started, nodding hastily. “Right, of course. Gotta catch the bus.”

She sniffed again, rubbing her eyes with a sleeve before straightening up. “Let’s go, then.” She smiled, albeit shakily, continuing to hold Yoshiko’s hand as they headed towards the bus stop.

Chika’s rejection was clear-cut, and it hurt. But cathartic, in a way. A liberating pain. It was like an old wound that had been re-opened, so it could heal properly. Yo glanced at Yoshiko beside her. She didn’t think she’d have the courage to do that without her being there to spur her onwards.

“Thanks,” She murmured. “For being here.”

Yoshiko turned to look at her, before turning back to check the road. “It’s what we promised to do, right?” She said quietly. “I’m… not very good at being supportive, but I can at least be there for you.”

“That’s… more than enough for me,” Yo said. “You’re… probably not going to stay the night tonight, right?”

“Yeah, I… should head home. Mom will probably want to talk,” Yoshiko said, before adding hopefully, “But maybe I can come over again soon?” She hesitated. “I’m not getting too ahead of myself, am I?”

“No! I mean— Having you over is nice.” Yo smiled, and Yoshiko blushed faintly. “Sure. Let’s plan something again soon, yeah?”

Yoshiko nodded, as a bus rolled to a stop in front of them, the door sliding open for them to get on.

* * * * *

> **< Yo>**
> 
> YOOOOOOOOOOO
> 
> **< Kanan>**
> 
> So do you like regularly scream your own name or
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> YOOOOOOOOOO _/exclamation_
> 
> **< Kanan>**
> 
> oh ok
> 
> What’s up? Sounds like things are good
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> Askldjasdkjaf
> 
> Finally mustered up the courage to start dating Yoshiko
> 
> **< Kanan>**
> 
> Hey
> 
> That’s great!
> 
> I’m happy for you ^^
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> Going on a date this Saturday!!
> 
> **< Kanan>**
> 
> Oh wow
> 
> Good going!
> 
> Have fun ^^ be responsible
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> Ok mom
> 
> Yeet
> 
> **< Kanan>**
> 
> Was that a meme
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> No
> 
> **< Kanan>**
> 
> Ok
> 
> oh
> 
> Someone’s calling me, I’ll ttyl
> 
> **< Yo>**
> 
> Ok bye!

Kanan breathed out, smiling to herself. She was glad that Yo had worked her issues out - being bogged down like that really wasn’t Yo’s style. She leaned back in her bed, quitting out of the messenger and glancing at the call notification. She quirked her eyebrows at the contact displayed.

“Dia?” She murmured uncertainly, picking up the call after a moment’s hesitation. It was unusual for Dia to call her. “Hello?"

_“Kanan. Am I interrupting something?”_

Dia sounded serious, though Kanan figured she always did. Adjusting her posture, she sat up slightly and cleared her throat. “Not really, I was just texting. What’s up? It’s been a while since you called proactively.”

Dia huffed, and Kanan could imagine her nostrils flaring at the mild accusation. _“I haven’t had a reason to call,”_ Dia said tersely.

“Do you need a reason to call one of your closest childhood friends?” Kanan asked, her tone light despite the subject. She was only a little upset at Dia for staying silent for so long after Mari left.

_“We were all shaken by the circumstances. It wasn’t easy to—”_ Dia stopped, breathed out slowly. She sighed, and restarted slowly, _“I was scared. I didn’t know if it was okay to talk to you… after what had happened.”_

Kanan shook her head slightly, chuckling helplessly at their situation. “I stopped being mad a while ago. You should know I always have time for you, Dia. Just because Mari left…” Her expression shifted slightly, a slight grimace finding its way onto her face. She shook her head again, more vigorously, and said, “So, what did you want to talk about? I’m sure you called for a reason.”

_“I wanted to talk about…”_ Dia breathed out slowly, a hint of tension in her voice. _“I want to talk to you about Mari.”_

Kanan snorted. “Of course. It can’t just be checking in with a friend, or an invitation to hang out. It’s always about Mari.”

_“Kanan…”_

“I know, I know.” Kanan sighed. “Well? What about Mari?”

_“You know about Mari’s plan to raise awareness of the school, right?”_ Dia asked.

“Hard not to,” Kanan said. “She put on a great show during the assembly.”

_“Aren’t you going to join her team?”_

Kanan grimaced. She knew the question had to be asked at some point; it didn’t mean she dreaded it any less. “I don’t play much anymore. I’m not going to be much use,” she tried to say, though just as she expected Dia sniffed in disbelief at her attempt at deflection.

_“Your character’s still level 90, isn’t it? It’s like riding a bike, you’ll get used to it soon enough. Besides we still have a couple of months until the tournament, you have plenty of time to train.”_ Dia said.

“Still, I…” Kanan’s voice faltered, closing her eyes for a moment.

Immortal Legends. Once upon a time, the game meant so much to her. All three of them. There were so many memories she simply couldn’t ignore. Herself, laughing as Dia tried to feign indifference at Mari’s prodding. Mari, grinning as she announced her plan to Kanan and Dia to run in the tournament. The three of them, sitting in a haphazard pile, practicing drills until the sun came up.

Those were good times. _Simpler_ times.

“…It’s been _two years_ , Dia,” Kanan said tiredly. There was a pleading undertone in her voice, imploring Dia not to push further. Kanan had tortured herself with this line of thought for long enough, she didn’t need Dia coming in to open old wounds. “Two years since we broke up. You’re expecting me to go up to her now, after so long, and ask for her forgiveness?” Her voice rose as indignation flared up inside her. “Are you just going to forget the fact that despite everything we’ve done, everything we gave up and sacrificed, she threw it all away and came back? _She came back, Dia_. I can’t… I can’t just ignore that.”

Dia was silent for a long time.

_“No one’s saying you have to ask for forgiveness. I’m disappointed as well. I was furious when I found out Mari came back.”_ She finally spoke up after a solid minute of silence. _“But Mari is… she’s always done whatever she wanted. This is just classic Ohara, isn’t it? Can you say you really didn’t see this coming?”_

Kanan huffed. Dia was right, of course.  “It doesn’t mean I have to like it,” she said bitterly. “So? Is that all you wanted to say to me, Dia?”

_“No. I also want you to know that I’m going to help Mari.”_ Dia said suddenly, and Kanan’s breathing caught for a moment in surprise. _“And I… this time I’m not going to let her go. I’m sorry, Kanan. I guess I’m a sore loser after all.”_

Before Kanan could react, Dia hung up the call, leaving her in her bed, staring at her phone in shocked silence.

She breathed in, willing herself to be calm. All things considered, this was exactly the outcome that Kanan wanted. Mari was back, and with Dia beside her they probably wouldn’t bother Kanan anymore. Considering what Kanan did, Dia deserved this happiness.

She put a hand over her heart, clenching it into a fist.

If that was the case… why did it hurt so much?

* * * * *

When Yoshiko returned back to school the next day, the first thing she faced was a barrage of questions from Ruby and Hanamaru. They surrounded her table, pressing forward with surprising ferocity as they bombarded Yoshiko with queries.

“Yoshiko, are you okay?” “Are you feeling better now?”

“So what happened? All we got were rumours, zura,” Hanamaru pressed. “You didn’t come to school yesterday. You didn’t even text Ruby.”

The sentence ended in a slightly accusatory tone, and Yoshiko fidgeted guiltily as she leaned away from Hanamaru. “There was a lot going on,” she said, lowering her head slightly. “Sorry.”

Hanamaru sighed, but her smile made it clear that she wasn’t actually offended. “It’s okay. We were just worried, zura.” She settled back, giving Yoshiko some breathing space. “So, what happened, zura? There’s all sorts of rumours going on. They’re saying you’re dating Yo, but she’s just doing it out of pity, and Aoki and Yo were fighting over you.”

Yoshiko snorted. “The last one, _gods_ no. The first one, yes. The middle one… I don’t think so. I hope not.”

The pitch of Ruby’s squeal almost went beyond the human range of hearing. “You’re dating Yo? Really? Since when?!”

“I- er,” Yoshiko leaned back again, this time at Ruby’s squeak of excitement. “For a while?” She offered vaguely. “It’s complicated.”

“So you two are going to do couple things, right? Hold hands and go on dates and kiss?” Ruby said excitedly, shocking Yoshiko with how aggressive she was being. “Oh, you two are so cute together… your colour schemes even match! Honestly I’m so jealous, you could coordinate outfits and do so many things together and—” She caught herself mid sentence, seemingly just realizing that her volume was much too high for her own comfort, and her cheeks promptly turned as red as her hair as she sank down to hide behind a table.

Yoshiko glanced at Ruby, then at Hanamaru. “So, uh,” Yoshiko said awkwardly. “She’s… excited.”

“Ruby just cares a lot about you, zura,” Hanamaru said. “She always knew you would be able to work things out with Yo, zura.”

Yoshiko’s heart felt warm and fuzzy as she heard that, and she turned to give Ruby a soft smile. “Oh Ruby… I appreciate the vote of confidence. Really.” She couldn’t express clearly how lucky she felt having friends so supportive. It almost made her feel scared, since certainly bad luck had to be coming her way after all this good luck.

“So,” Hanamaru’s smile turned sly. “Who asked whom out, zura? Was it Yo?”

Yoshiko blushed fiercely at the question. “I— guess so? I mean, she’s the one who…” She choked for a moment, before managing to squeak out, “she’s the one who kissed me…”

Ruby’s squeal of delight definitely surpassed humanly audible pitches at that. _“She kissed you!”_ Ruby whispered, almost vibrating from the scandalous conversation they were having.

“We’re happy for you, zura,” Hanamaru said, smiling and reaching out to clasp Yoshiko’s hands in her own. “I’m really glad that you’ve gotten to where you want to be.”

“Well, I’m still a few steps removed from being completely okay,” Yoshiko smiled wryly. “But… yeah. I’m getting there.”

Hanamaru beamed, leaning over and giving Yoshiko a great warm hug. “So when is Yo coming back to school? I heard she was suspended, zura,” Hanamaru asked, as she pulled back from the hug.

“That’s… well, it’s supposed to be a week.” Yoshiko said, feeling a tinge of guilt again at the fact that Yo was suspended because of her. “I was actually going to talk to the student council president about that…”

“My sister?” Ruby piped up, having somewhat calmed down.

“Well, her, and I wanted to speak to Director Ohara as well.” Yoshiko said.

“Is this about that… Tournament thing you were talking about before?” Ruby asked curiously. “I thought you said you weren’t going to join.”

Yoshiko grimaced. “I’m… not sure, still. I need some time to think. But I at least want to talk to Ohara about it.”

She lowered her head slightly. “There’s a lot I need to think about. Not all of it is… nice.”

Hanamaru nodded. She didn’t claim to understand exactly how Yoshiko felt, but she at least understood that Yoshiko was trying her hardest to turn her life around. She knew that Yoshiko had been miserable for a while now, despite her hiding it well. “You do whatever you need to do, Yoshiko. We’ll be here, supporting you. Okay?”

“Thank you, Zuramaru,” Yoshiko smiled.

The future was anything but certain. But if there’s one thing Yoshiko knew, it was that in that moment in time, she felt more blessed and fortunate than she’s ever felt in her life.

For once, she felt like nothing could go wrong.


	9. Prep Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow my tumblr for updates, art, requests, and more! (<https://worldofoasis.tumblr.com/>)

It was easy to mistake Mari’s carefree demeanour as a sign of a low-pressure lifestyle, but in fact the truth was the exact opposite; Mari’s life was _unbelievably_ busy, between being a regular student and the director of a failing school, as well as heiress to a multi-national hotel chain, she barely had the time to breathe. But part of her training was to make the impossible seem easy, so most times when students did catch sight of her, she’d be sipping tea calmly, idly rifling through documents like nothing was wrong.

Sometimes, though, the stress would get to her,

Mari pinched her brow, breathing out tiredly as she slumped slightly in her plush director’s chair. After a long meeting with the school staff and a few lengthy conference calls with potential sponsors and business partners, on top of the double whammy of history class immediately following maths, even Mari’s practice ease was crumbling slightly.

“Long day?” Mari looked up, tensing up for a moment, then relaxing when she saw who was at the door. Dia crossed her arms disapprovingly as she stalked up to Mari’s desk. “You shouldn’t overwork yourself.”

“Like you’ve got any right to say,” Mari smirked, leaning back in her chair. “Yesterday you stayed back as well.”

Dia’s disapproving gaze softened slightly as she sighed, leaning slightly on Mari’s desk, her back to Mari. “Well, we all need to put in extra effort in trying times,” She murmured, shaking out her right hand. The redness from extensive writing didn’t escape Mari’s notice, but she made no comment about it. “Would you like some tea and snacks? We have some in the student council room.”

“ _Oh~_ is it home-made?” Mari gently clapped her hands together, giving Dia a little smirk. “Do I get to taste Kurosawa cooking?”

“No,” Dia said stiffly, looking away. “It’s by someone in the HomeEc committee…” She paused, and gave Mari a sidelong glance. “A-Although, if you want… I can bring in something tomorrow.”

Mari’s mouth parted for a moment, as she stared at Dia in mild surprise, as though she didn’t expect that to work. “Well,” collecting her thoughts, Mari cleared her throat and asked, “did you just come to check on me, Dia? Why, I’m flattered~”

“Actually,” Dia stepped forward, looking over Mari’s desk. Finding what she wanted, she picked up the list of participants for Mari’s Legends tournament team and gave it a look over. “I was wondering how recruitment’s going.”

Mari obviously had put down her own name, as well as Yo’s. There were two new names as well, Takami Chika and Sakurauchi Riko. They were Yo’s friends, if Dia recalled correctly. Chika was at level 40 or so, and Riko was just under level 15. Dia bit her lip. This ragtag team wasn’t going to make it, Mari had to know they wouldn’t. The competition had only gotten fiercer since…

Dia sighed, and put the list down, picking up a pen and writing something into a bracket. “There,” she says shortly, showing Mari the list, who looks blankly at it for a moment before her eyes grew wide. There, under Riko’s name, penciled in neat block letters, was the name ‘Kurosawa Dia’, and beside it, ‘level 90 Dominion angel’.

“You’re joining us?” Mari said, staring at the entry before turning to Dia in confusion. “But I thought you weren’t going to join without Kanan…?”

Dia sighed again, and shook her head. “If Kanan won’t help to save the school, then I’ll just have to pull double duty. As I said, we all need to put in extra effort in trying times.” She gives Mari a hard look. “I haven’t forgiven you for suddenly coming back. Or for avoiding contact when you were overseas. But for the sake of the school I’m willing to put all of that behind us.”

Mari nodded vigorously, a grin spreading across her face. “ _Of course, of course!_ Thank you, Dia. For giving me a chance.”

Dia grumbled something under her breath, looking away from Mari. Mari tilted her head. “What was that?” She asked, leaning forward.

“I said,” Dia paused, and lowered her voice. “Only for you, Mari. I’m doing this for you.”

She straightened up sharply, and before Mari could muster a reply she had taken a step away from her desk and turned to face the door. “I- I need to get back to the student council now, but if you need me just text, okay?”

She hurried over to the door, but just as she was about to reach for the knob, the door creaked open.

“Excuse me…” Yoshiko poked her head inside the director’s office. “Is Director Ohara here?”

Dia stepped aside as Yoshiko pushed the door open, stepping inside. “Sorry. Was I interrupting something?” Yoshiko apologized, glancing at Dia.

Dia shook her head. “No - I was about to leave.”

“Oh,” Yoshiko stood back, and Dia breezed past her, her head held high and back straight. Yoshiko glanced at her, then at Mari. “…May I come in?”

“Please,” Mari smiled, beckoning with a hand. “It’s good to see you back in school. Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah. I’m going to replace my laptop over the weekend, so…” Yoshiko shrugged, though as she remembered the events that transpired between her and Yo a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Could be worse.”

“That’s good to hear,” Mari leaned back in her chair. “So, what brings you to my office, Ms. Tsushima? Is it about the incident?”

“It is, actually.” Yoshiko nodded. “I was wondering if it was possible for Yo’s suspension to be lifted. She’s just as much a victim of circumstance as I am. She reacted in my defence, and you _know_ that Aoki has antagonized both her and myself multiple times in the past. I feel like, given the circumstances, she couldn’t have helped it.”

She took a deep breath, stilling her nerves. This was the most she’s spoken up to authority in… months. Years even. She stared firmly at Mari as the older girl sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“I understand how you feel, Ms. Tsushima, but this decision was made by the staff body in conjunction with myself and the students council. Suspension is the least punishment we can administer to someone who displayed violence on school grounds.” Mari breathed out, seeming tired beyond her years. “I… really wish I could help, but Yo has to take responsibility for the fact that she’s punched someone on campus.”

Yoshiko sighed, but nodded begrudgingly. She understood what Mari was saying.

“Is that all you wanted to speak to me about?” Mari asked.

“There is… something else.” Yoshiko said, shifting her feet. “About the Immortal Legacy tournament.”

“Oh?” Mari leaned in. “Are you considering joining?”

“W-Well, I was just curious,” Yoshiko said. “How many players have you recruited so far?”

“Ah. There’s myself, Dia, Yo, Chika, Riko. So,” Mari looks at Yoshiko, giving her a forced smile. “Five!”

Five. Yoshiko’s heart sank. It was a far cry from the nine member party of the tournament. She’s seen how competitive the party PVP meta was in Immortal Legends - nothing short of a full party was going to cut it. “Do you think you can gather enough people on time?”

“I believe we can,” Mari said. Her voice was firm, and Yoshiko couldn’t sense any hesitation in it. “It’s in times like these that the school really comes together.”

Yoshiko eyed Mari worriedly. Was she serious? Or was she just delusional? The initial announcement of her plan was met with applause, sure, but now that the hype has died down, Yoshiko hasn’t seen much evidence of participation at all.

“…And you need four more, huh?” Yoshiko asked.

“Ideally,” Mari nodded. “A party of nine would be the best.”

Yoshiko bit her lip. She didn’t want the school to close down. Not now, when she was finally starting to enjoy her life there.

She shuffled over to Mari’s desk, and picked up a pen, scribbling her name down on Mari’s list. “I’m not… sure, yet. But I’m curious.”

“Oh! Excellent! Two in one day, we’re on fire!” Mari clapped excitedly.

“I’m just looking,” Yoshiko protested, but Mari wasn’t having any of it.

“We’re going to have an online group meet this Sunday, will you have gotten your laptop then?”

“…Probably. I’ll ask Yo for the details,” Yoshiko said, sighing. Mari’s force of personality was hard to refute.

Mari smiled, and nodded, taking the list back and giving it a skim over as Yoshiko bowed politely at her and retreated from the room.

As Yoshiko left, Mari breathed out and leaned back, smirking at the list.

_Tsushima Yoshiko._ The one girl she’d hoped to hook, actually.

She smiled, relieved at the new addition. Her plan was finally coming together - she just needed all the pieces to be in place, now.

* * * * *

“Eh—! You’re going on a date with Yo on Saturday?” Ruby gasped, causing a few curious looks in the direction of her, Yoshiko and Hanamaru as they stepped past the school gates down the slope towards the bus station. She looked around, and blushed in embarrassment at all the attention.

“What are you going to do with her?” She asked, with a more hushed voice.

“I need to get a new laptop… so I asked if Yo would go with me…” Yoshiko trailed off at Ruby’s expression.”

“Oh,” Ruby looked a little disappointed. “Is that it?”

“I mean…” Yoshiko glanced at Ruby. “Is there a problem with that?”

“I, uhm… there’s not really a _problem_ with that…” Ruby mumbled, twiddling her fingers. She glanced at Hanamaru for a moment. “But I mean… is an electronics store really the most… er, romantic setting? Wouldn’t you want to take Yo somewhere cuter? Like a cafe, or… go clothes shopping… or visit a park or something…”

“Ah…” Yoshiko’s expression froze. Of course - a normal high school girl wouldn’t invite her girlfriend to go looking at electronics, that’s something only a shut-in would say. She groaned, running a hand through her hair in frustration. “Shit, you’re right. That’s a dumb date idea, what was I thinking…?”

“W-Well!” Hanamaru interjected hastily, “I’m sure Yo wouldn’t mind going laptop shopping with you, zura. But Ruby might have a point, you might want to include some other things as well, zura…”

“Ngh… we already went on a long walk around the city last time…” Yoshiko mumbled under her breath. She crossed her arms as she considered what she could do with Yo. Distressingly, she came up with a blank - perhaps only because she was trying to think on the spot, but the fact that ‘normal dating’ was so far away from her knowledge was… slightly depressing.

As she struggled to come up with an itinerary, Ruby came to her aid. “I-If you need help with coming up with things to do,” she offered quickly, “We could help you!”

Hanamaru nodded, giving Yoshiko a comforting pat on the back. “We can give you advice and whatever you need, zura! And I’m sure Ruby can help with coming up with an outfit. She’s great with fashion, zura.”

“Girls…” Yoshiko looked at Hanamaru and Ruby, a small smile gracing her face. “Thank you, both of you. I really appreciate the help. How about we stop by the cafe? We can sit down and talk some more there.”

Ruby and Hanamaru exchanged a look, smiling at each other before giving Yoshiko a grin. “You’ve changed, zura,” Hanamaru said, smiling. “For the better, of course. You’re talking to people now, zura, and you don’t get into so much trouble anymore, zura. I guess Yo really is a good influence on you, huh?”

“Well, you know,” Yoshiko blushed, scuffing the ground with her foot. “I want to be better. Normal.”

“If you’re trying to be normal, I think it’s working! You haven’t spoken in your weird voice for a while,” Ruby pointed out. “You know, when you sound like someone from a ren faire? You used to do it all the time, but you’ve stopped doing it since you’ve started hanging out with Yo.”

“Ah… Yohane’s voice,” Yoshiko smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I… I don’t know. It’s strange… I used to use it when I needed to feel strong. Because Yohane’s strong - she’s the strongest in the whole world… though I suppose not anymore. When I stood up to bullies, or took the blame for things Aoki pinned on me I- I felt like I needed it. To stay strong.”

She had a distant expression on her face as she looked out to sea. “I don’t use it anymore, huh…”

“I think it’s a good thing, zura,” Hanamaru said. “You’re no longer put in situations where you need to stand alone, zura. You don’t need to be the strongest in the whole of Japan, zura, if you have friends and loved ones to share your burdens. Isn’t that right?”

Yoshiko glanced at Hanamaru, her features pensive and thoughtful. “I… haven’t thought of it that way. Maybe that’s the case.”

Yoshiko breathed out. Yohane had allowed Yoshiko to stand strong when she would -should - have broken a long time ago. It was, for the longest time, her only source of strength. She still could remember the feeling of adrenaline surging through her whenever she assumed Yohane’s voice, the confidence that came with it. Hanamaru was right, now that she had friends she didn’t need to bear the burden alone.

Yohane helped her stay afloat when she felt like the world was going to crush her under its weight. Being normal was not an option - she had to be extraordinary, unusual. But now, she _wanted_ to be normal. For Yo’s sake, and Hanamaru, and Ruby.

If becoming normal meant casting away a part of herself, even if it felt like she wasn’t being herself - that was worth it, right? As Yoshiko pondered` this, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped slightly, to find Ruby looking at her.

“You have us to support you now,” Ruby said, giving Yoshiko a warm smile. “If you’re ever in trouble, just tell us, okay? There’s no need for you to bear it alone.”

“Ruby,” Yoshiko smiled softly. Of course it was worth it. Her friends and Yo… she was ready to give it all up for them. “Thank you. If there’s anything I can help you with…”

“Actually,” Ruby glanced at Hanamaru again, and then turned to Yoshiko. “I do need help with something…”

“What is it?” Yoshiko tilted her head.

“I’m going to join Mari’s team. For Immortal Legends,” Ruby said. “I can’t just stand by while Mari and my sister is trying so hard to save the school.”

Yoshiko stared at Ruby for a moment, caught off guard.

“I mean, Yoshiko, you’re really good at Immortal Legends, right? I can borrow dad’s computer to play, so could you help coach me so I’m good enough for the tournament? I want to be able to help my sister. And the school.”

Ruby looked expectantly at Yoshiko, who was almost overwhelmed to her enthusiasm. Ruby always surpassed Yoshiko’s expectations at every turn, but Yoshiko kept forgetting that behind the scaredy-cat outlook, Ruby was surprisingly tough. “Oh, uh,” She ran a hand through her hair. Just because she wasn’t the champion anymore, didn’t mean she was completely useless at the game. She could still be use to Ruby. Maybe. “Yeah. Of course I can. I can start coaching you as soon as you want. Today, even!”

Ruby smiled brightly at the offer, giving Yoshiko a tentative hug from the side. “Thank you! Thank you, Yoshiko. I’ll try my Rubesty!”

Yoshiko chuckled, gingerly giving her a hug in return. Pulling away, she breathed out, putting on a stern face as she warned, “It’s not gonna be easy. It’s one of those games where it takes real skill to get good at it, are you prepared for a difficult time getting the hang of it?”

“Yeah! I’m ready,” Ruby said, glancing at Hanamaru, who nodded encouragingly.

“It’ll be a uphill battle getting to a level where you can compete with the pros,” Yoshiko warned again.

“It’s an uphill battle already,” Ruby said, determination clear in her voice. “I want to be useful to my sister.”

“Atta girl,” Yoshiko nodded. “Then, I’ll take you as my protege for as long as you need to.” She grinned, “I’ll whip you into shape - you’d better be prepared for a tough time. I’m not a kind teacher.”

“That means she’ll be really nice and patient, zura,” Hanamaru stage-whispered in Ruby’s ear, causing Yoshiko’s cheeks to flush. “Because Yoshiko’s a big softie, zura~”

“Z-Zuramaru! That’s not true! I’m hardcore,” Yoshiko complained, swatting at Hanamaru, who laughed and leaned out of Yoshiko’s reach.

“Right, right. Of course you are, zura,” Hanamaru said kindly, nodding her head sagely.

“Don’t you condescend me!”

Hanamaru laughed as the bus arrived, escaping onto the vehicle and placing Ruby between them as a shield.

* * * * *

Later that night, Yoshiko sighed as she sat in front of her desk, doodling idly into a sketchpad while scrolling through her twitter feed.

Ruby joining the team was unexpected, but not unpleasant. It was one more person, even if… Ruby wasn’t incredibly good at the game. When they looked at what Ruby was capable of, Yoshiko saw problems as well as potential. Her reflexes were fast enough, but Yoshiko wasn’t sure she could learn the meta game fast enough to compete on a national level. She didn’t exactly have the gaming experience Yoshiko had, even outside of Immortal Legends.

“Give… crash course… on… team… comp.” Yoshiko muttered, as she added another item onto the to-do list for Ruby’s training. It was a long list to begin with, and with this new addition, Yoshiko had to flip over to a new page.

As expected, Ruby had picked a support role - a cupid healer. That meant, more than any other role, Ruby needed to understand the dynamics of working in a party, and what support needs each other role had. Yoshiko continued to scribble on her notepad, jotting down strategies she could use to help Ruby get into the game faster.

_Ping!_

She looked down at her phone, her eyes lighting up when she saw a message notification. Quickly unlocking the screen with her free hand, she glanced over the message before smiling giddily and typing out a reply.

> **< Yo**⚓ **> **
> 
> Heya
> 
> What’s cookin’ good lookin’

> **< Yoshiko> **
> 
> Not much
> 
> Writing up a plan for Ruby
> 
> She’s planning to join Mari’s team!! 

> **< Yo**⚓ **>**
> 
> Really?? Wouldn’t have guessed
> 
> Ruby??? _That_ Ruby??

> **< Yoshiko>**
> 
> Yeah
> 
> And… I was thinking of joining too

> **< Yo**⚓ **>**
> 
> ;;
> 
> Are you sure?

> **< Yoshiko>**
> 
> Well I mean
> 
> Maybe? Kind of?
> 
> I want to help but
> 
> I,
> 
> Don’t want to rely on Yohane.
> 
> But,,
> 
> Who am I without her?
> 
> I’ve been Yohane for so long.
> 
> As Yoshiko, I can’t help anyone
> 
> As Yohane I can at least offer my experience..
> 
> Whatever that’s worth.
> 
> Not much, I mean, I _lost_

> **< Yo**⚓ **>**
> 
> You helped me as Yoshiko
> 
> The girl I fell in love with is Yoshiko, not Yohane
> 
> The sweet, wonderful, quirky, adorable girl I’m dating ♥
> 
> **< Yoshiko>**
> 
> Jjgksdfkjnfankldfas
> 
> Y
> 
> YO
> 
> THATS GAY
> 
> **< Yo**⚓ **>**
> 
> Wow that’s news
> 
> Local lesbian loves girls, is gay
> 
> More at 10
> 
> **< Yo**⚓ **>**
> 
> But seriously
> 
> If you’re not comfortable playing Immortal Legends
> 
> You don’t have to
> 
> **< Yoshiko>**
> 
> Its less IL and
> 
> Mari?
> 
> **< Yo**⚓ **> **
> 
> Ah
> 
> **< Yoshiko>**
> 
> If I can help ruby, I will.
> 
> Just need some time…
> 
> **< Yo**⚓ **> **
> 
> Ok
> 
> I’m proud of you either way
> 
> **< Yoshiko>**
> 
> H
> 
> I’m just,, teaching my friend how to game
> 
> It’s not much…
> 
> btw
> 
> We still on for saturday? 
> 
> **< Yo**⚓ **>**
> 
> Ofc!!
> 
> Meet me at the station?
> 
> **< Yoshiko>**
> 
> Yeah
> 
> See you then ♡
> 
> ..
> 
> Ily
> 
> **< Yo**⚓ **>**
> 
> I love you too
> 
> Goodnight, yoshiko

Yoshiko put down her phone, her cheeks puffed red. She peeked at the screen again at Yo’s message, and threw her phone across the room onto her bed. Stupid Yo, being so charming and stuff. She sighed wistfully, glancing at the calendar. Saturday couldn’t come sooner.

“A date, huh…” She breathed out.

A proper date, as a couple. She grinned giddily, barely able to contain her excitement. She recalled earlier that afternoon, when she was coaching Ruby on the basics of Immortal Legends. When they took breaks, they discussed what to do during the date. Food? Drink? They were going to hit up a cafe near her place. There was a small list of shops she wanted to visit. And of course, she already had a model of laptop she wanted to get - a decently high-end gaming laptop that was still portable.

She was ready. For once in her life - she felt ready to take a step forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's BACK  
> im going to really try to finish what i started


End file.
